Split Verdict in Iraqi Vote Sets Stage for Weak Government

The New York Times > International > Middle East > News Analysis: "The main factor ensuring a relatively cautious Shiite majority is the complicated mechanism controlling the formation of the government. Under the rules, the prime minister will be selected by a president and two deputies, who must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the assembly. Practically speaking, that means the prime minister will have to be approved by a two-thirds vote. The Shiite alliance has nowhere near that many seats.

Iraqi leaders who are not part of the Shiite alliance say that in exchange for their support for a Shiite prime minister, they could set strict conditions on several key issues, like the role of religion in the constitution and the power of regional governments.

One senior Iraqi official, a non-Shiite who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the slim majority won by the Shiite alliance signaled even greater obstacles for the Shiite parties in the future. If the Sunni Arabs, who largely boycotted the election, decide to take part in the future, they would almost certainly dilute the Shiite alliance's already thin margin."