Talabani Emphasises Forming National Unity Government

President Jalal Talabani emphasized forming a national unity government that includes the top four coalitions (that won votes in the election): the United Iraqi Alliance, the Kurdistan Alliance, the Iraqi Accord Front and the Iraqi National List. He added that national assembly speaker Hachim al-Hasani has tackled the issue of (the divided and diverse city of) Kirkuk, and that Kirkuk will be used as an example of fraternity and reconciliation between the different ethno-religious groups. He added that the Kurds play a positive role in maintaining national unity in a democratic and diverse Iraq. This was contrary to claims by the deposed regime (of Saddam Hussein) that the Kurds wanted to break from Iraq. (Some groups remain concerned that the Kurds want to break from Iraq, but Kurdish leaders have been negotiators between Sunni Arab and Shia political parties.