Iraqi parliament delays attempts to unify government

World Today

The Iraqi parliament has again delayed attempts to form a unified government as the conflict continues north of Baghdad. CCTV’s Jack Barton reports.

Iraqi parliament delays attempts to unify government

The Iraqi parliament has again delayed attempts to form a unified government as the conflict continues north of Baghdad. CCTV's Jack Barton reports.

Further discussion was delayed until Tuesday to reach a compromise between Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish politicials over who should fill the positions of prime minister, president, and parliamentary speaker.

Current prime minister Nouri al-Maliki is pressing for a third term, but he is met with strong opposition from the Sunnis and Kurds, who allege that he has ruled in favor of the Shiite majority.

Iraq’s politicians are under pressure from the United States and the United Nations to reach a resolution soon so the country can turn its attention to the Sunni-led insurgency which has led to the raging conflict north of Baghdad.

The Iraqi army recaptured two towns in the northern region, but the Sunni militias attacked another town and reportedly seized some local government buildings. The insurgency now controls a large part of northern Iraq.