United Nations: The Security Council
today extended by a year the mandate of the UN Assistance
Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and urged that country`s leaders to
speed up formation of an inclusive government.
The 15-member body unanimously adopted a
resolution, sponsored by the United States, Britain, Japan and
Turkey, extending the mandate of UNAMI, which expires
Saturday, until July 31 2011.
It expressed its intention to review the mandate
"in 12 months or sooner, if requested by the government of
Iraq."
As UN chief Ban Ki-moon did yesterday, the council
also appealed to Iraq`s bickering leaders to quickly form a
government "that represents the will and sovereignty of the
Iraqi people and their hope for a strong, independent,
unified and democratic Iraq" in the wake of the March
parliamentary elections.
Ex-premier Iyad Allawi`s Iraqiya bloc finished
first in the March 7 polls with 91 seats in the 325-member
parliament, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki`s State of Law
alliance winning 89.
Both, however, fell short of a parliamentary
majority, and negotiations over assembling a coalition with
other parties appear to have stalled.
Bureau Report
