Iraq PM to Sue President, Security Forces Deploy across Baghdad

Local Editor

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is taking the political rift in his country to the courts after announcing he will file a legal complaint on Monday against the country's newly elected president.

The deadlock over a new government has plunged Iraq into a political crisis at a time it is fighting the so-called "Islamic State" militants.

The offensive by the al-Qaeda breakaway group has become Iraq's worst crisis since the US troops withdrew from the country in 2011.

In a televised speech after midnight Sunday, Maliki declared he would file a legal complaint against the new president, Fouad Massoum, for committing "a clear constitutional violation."
The prime minister said the president, who was elected by parliament, is obstructing Maliki's re-election. He said Massoum had carried out "a coup against the constitution and the political process."

Maliki, whose bloc won the most parliament seats in April elections, accused Massoum of neglecting to name a prime minister from the country's largest parliamentary faction by Sunday's deadline.
A parliament session scheduled for Monday to discuss the nomination of the new prime minister was postponed until Aug. 19.

Meanwhile, Iraqi special forces were deployed at Baghdad's main intersections Monday, police officials said. Two of the capital's main streets, which are popular locations for pro and anti-government rallies, were partially closed Monday.

The government also enforced a heightened security alert across the city, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

It was not immediately clear when Maliki would submit his complaint, presumably in a Baghdad court Monday.

But his action raised concerns abroad.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States rejected any effort to use "coercion or manipulation" in the process of choosing a new Iraqi leader.
The UN special representative for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, called on Iraqis to "exercise restraint at this dangerous time" adding that Iraq's "special forces should refrain from actions that may be seen as interference in matters related to the democratic transfer of political authority."

US President Barack Obama warned Americans Saturday that the new campaign to bring security in Iraq required military and political changes and "is going to be a long-term project."

Obama said Iraqi security forces needed to revamp to effectively mount an offensive, which requires a government in Baghdad that the Iraqi military and people have confidence in.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team