国际英语新闻：Iraqi PM says ready for protracted government formation

BAGHDAD, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's sitting Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Wednesday that his bloc would continue negotiations with other blocs to form a new "national partnership government," no matter how long it would take.

"The State of Law has held talks with other blocs about the formation of a coalition and the next government, although we have yet achieved any tangible results," Maliki said at a meeting attended by senior politicians of his list.

He said his bloc was ready for a possible long time needed to solve pending issues between his bloc and others to ensure a " better quality government."

The talks took place in Iraq, Maliki said, refuting recent reports saying politicians from his Dawa Party were dispatched to Iran to meet with radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The Sadr movement led by the cleric garnered 40 seats, making itself a leading party in the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), dominated by Shiite religious groups.

"We don't want a government that marginalizes any of the Iraqi factions. We want a national partnership government that will be built by all," Maliki said.

In the new 325-member parliament, former interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's Iraqia List won 91 seats, the most, Maliki's State of Law 89 seats, the INA 70 seats and the Kurdish Alliance 43 seats, according to the preliminary results of the March 7 polls.

No single bloc got the majority of seats required to form the next government. Therefore, the leading blocs have been negotiating on new coalitions.

Maliki has alleged frauds in counting and demanded a recount. He said the results were not final and asked the judiciary system for a ruling on the fraud complaints.

However, Allawi insists that his bloc has the right to form the next government under the country's constitution, saying that the Iraqia List is open to everyone for talks about a governing coalition.

On Wednesday, Allawi reportedly met President Jalal Talabani, who leads the Kurdish Alliance, a kingmaker in the election.

Allawi faces a new challenge as the country's Accountability and Justice Commission in charge of vetting candidates, has been attempting to disqualify six winning candidates, some reportedly from the Iraqia List.

The move is likely to undermine Allawi's slender victory.

A prolonged government formation may complicate Iraq's situation as the U.S. troops in Iraq were slated to be cut by half at the end of August and to fully withdraw by the end of 2011.