Al-Jaafari comments after meeting al-Sistani

Описание: (25 Feb 2005) SHOTLIST

1. Motorcade of Ibrahim al-Jaafari - leader of the Islamic Dawa Party - arriving
2. Security guards looking around as al-Jaafari emerges from car
3. Najaf governor Adnan al-Zurfi follows al-Jaafari into Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani''s office
4. Al-Jaafari walks to media
5. Cameraman
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibrahim al-Jaafari, United Iraqi Alliance
"For the government, it requires discussion and state of agreement. The Grand Ayatollah blessed what the Iraqi people achieved under hard circumstances in the election process. While for settling the matter of who is going to be the prime minister, he respected and sustained what the United Iraqi Alliance decided. As for the constitution, now we are in front of many drafts which show the basic law. The positive points will be taken into consideration, then submitted in a joint draft by parliament. It will then will be reviewed in front of the Iraqi people and Iraqi people will decide."
7. Wide shot of Imam Ali mosque

STORYLINE

United Iraqi Alliance candidate Ibrahim al-Jaafari says that Iraq''s most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has endorsed his nomination for prime minister.

"He respected and sustained what the United Iraqi Alliance decided," al-Jaafari told reporters after meeting al-Sistani for more than two hours in the southern Shiite holy city of Najaf.

The endorsement came after some members of the clergy-backed alliance - which won the January 30 elections - openly questioned the coalition''s decision to nominate the 58-year-old leader of the conservative Islamic Dawa Party as candidate for prime minister.

The Dawa Party on Thursday claimed that it won the support of eight members of three tiny parties and boosted its parliamentary strength to 148.

But a splinter group thought to represent about 30 seats in the alliance, and which once supported the US-educated Ahmad Chalabi, renewed threats to withdraw its support.

Although it issued no demands, it was unclear what Chalabi - who withdrew from the race - had promised the group for its support.

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the secular Shiite who has about 40 seats, tried to take advantage of the rift by trying to open talks with that Shiite splinter group just one day after announcing he would form a broad coalition to try to hold onto his post.

To make any headway, however, Allawi must also win support from a Kurdish coalition controlling 75 of the 275 seats.

The Kurds have indicated they will support al-Jaafari and the Alliance if it meets key demands, including giving the presidency to one of their leaders - Jalal Talabani.

A two-thirds majority of the assembly is required for approval of the presidency - the first step in a complicated process of filling the top positions.

For al-Jaafari to become prime minister, then, he must win the approval of his own Shiite alliance, including Chalabi''s supporters, and an additional 44 legislators.

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