Iraq's Parliament Delays Session

Adnan Pachachi, the speaker of the Iraqi parliament (file photo) (epa) April 20, 2006 -- The deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Adnan Pachachi, says today's scheduled parliament meeting has been postponed until April 22 to allow lawmakers more time to overcome a deadlock on forming a government.

Leaders of the Shi'ite-led United Iraqi Alliance are also set to meet on April 22 to vote on whether to keep current Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'fari as their nominee for the post. Al-Ja'fari faces stiff opposition from Kurdish and Sunni parties, who blame him for failing to end sectarian violence.

Al-Ja'fari today said it is up to the United Iraqi Alliance to reconfirm his nomination for a second term. The statement appears to change the stance he took on April 19, when he said that stepping down as the alliance's nominee would be "out of the question."

(AP, Reuters)