US President Barack Obama congratulated Iraqis for the formation of a new government Tuesday after months of a political stalemate, and vowed to continue to build a strong partnership with Baghdad, reported DPA
The Iraqi Parliament approved the government, which returns Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to power, newly in partnership with the coalation headed by Iyad Allawi, whose group won the largest number of seats in March elections but failed to achieve a majority.
"The Iraqi people and their elected representatives have demonstrated their commitment to working through a democratic process to resolve their differences and shape Iraq's future," Obama said in a statement. "Their decision to form an inclusive partnership government is a clear rejection of the efforts by extremists to spur sectarian division." dpa mm ff Author: Mike McCarthy