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BAGHDAD - Iraq's top Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders yesterday announced they had agreed on key measures seen as vital to fostering national reconciliation as international calls continued for the country's Prime Minister to be replaced.
The agreement by the five leaders was one of the most significant political developments in Iraq for months and was quickly welcomed by the United States, whose politicians, including President George W. Bush, were critical last week of Shiite PM Nouri Maliki.
The apparent breakthrough comes two weeks before Bush's top officials in Iraq present a report that could have a major influence on future American policy in Iraq.
Maliki's appearance on Iraqi television with the four other leaders at a brief news conference was a rare show of public unity.
The other officials present were President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd; Sunni Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi; Shiite Vice-President Adel Abdul-Mahdi, and Masoud Barzani, President of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Iraqi officials said the five leaders had agreed on draft legislation that would ease curbs on former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party joining the civil service and military. Consensus was also reached on a law governing provincial powers as well as setting up a mechanism to release some detainees held without charge, a key demand of Sunni Arabs since the majority being held are Sunnis.
- Reuters
