Still no government in Iraq (was supposed to form 3/16) [View All]

[Cocoa]

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=592412&page=2

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Nearly two months after they braved death to vote, many Iraqis are growing frustrated over the slow pace of the talks to form a new government.

The 275-seat National Assembly was elected Jan. 30 and sworn in Wednesday. But the deputies failed to set a date to reconvene, to elect a speaker or to nominate a president and vice president all of which they had hoped to do their first day. Instead, the session was spent reveling in the seating of Iraq's first democratic legislature in a half century.

On Thursday, however, both Kurds and Shiites reported progress on a range of issues, including the shape of the Iraqi government.

"We will be seeing a government formed next week," predicted Haitham al-Husseiny, who heads the office of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Shiite-dominated United Iraqi Alliance.

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"This procrastination in forming the government frustrates us and does not make us optimistic," complained Qaiss Mosa of Baghdad, echoing frustration widely heard among people on the street. "Iraqis were hoping to see a national government."

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