Shias step up calls for PM to go (Iraqis VP tells Jaafari to step down)

Iraq's vice-president has added his voice to calls for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to step down as candidate to lead a new government.

Adel Abdul Mahdi is the most senior figure in Mr Jaafari's dominant Shia alliance to urge him to withdraw.

Mr Jaafari's nomination is one of the main sticking points in deadlocked coalition talks with Kurds and Sunnis.

Mr Mahdi's comments came a day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw ended a visit to Baghdad to press for swifter movement on establishing a government of national unity.

From the article: "Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties rejected the ruling Shia-led bloc's nomination of Mr Jaafari as prime minister and have threatened to boycott a government unless he withdraws."
Hmmm. That is new to me. That is, the part about the boycott. Obviously the disatification with Jaf has been well documented. I wonder if the BBC is making up the part about the Kurdish and Sunni Arab parties threatening to boycott the future government. If true, this is not good.
It puts them back at square one.
Might sound infantile to you guys, but one could think they hold out and play, so that they continue to collect probably quite decent salaries. Once the candidates for high government positions are officially voted on, then sworn in or what ever they do. Some are no longer going to be employed.
Why not drag out the process as long as they possibly can to get a pay check. After all the common slobs in the street will get blown up regardless of a new government coming into power. I cannot help but feel many of them could feel this way. I wish it where not the case, however.

The SCIRI has more seats then Sadr, and the 20 seat indipendent parties in the UIA opposes him.

And, more importantly the Kurds, Sunnis, and Allawi oppose him and without them a governmnet won't be formed.

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