Iraqi politicians holding a series of meetings today aimed at agreeing a coalition government are optimistic despite the continuing violence that has led to 40 killings reported in the past 24 hours.
The highest casualty rates were reported in Ramadi and Baghdad were at least nine people were killed and up to 46 hurt in the bombing of a courthouse in the capital.
A police official in Ramadi said 13 people were killed by a US airstrike on a house. The US military said it was not aware of the strike.
Elsewhere in Baghdad, two US soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb and gunmen killed a brigadier in the Defence Ministry; while the bodies of two people were found strangled on the main road between Baghdad and Hilla.
In the town of Musayib 40 miles south of the capital, five people were killed and three wounded yesterday in a tribal feud.
In deposed leader Sasddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, a policeman and a civilian were killed when they tried to rescue a leading businessman being kidnapped by gunmen. Also in the town, an Iraqi soldier and a civilian were killed yesterday.
There were also killings in nearby Suwayra last night, when gunmen broke into a house killing two brothers and seriously wounding their mother and sister
Three bodies bearing the signs of torture were found near Falluja, while in Balad, a civilain was killed by a gunman.
Qais Hassan, deputy director of the Baghdad city morgue said the facility receives an average of between 35 and 50 bodies a day. He said 90 per cent had gunshot wounds, likely victims of sectarian violence.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister designate Nuri al-Maliki has promised to form a national unity government that will stabilise Iraq by sharing power among Shi'ites, Kurds and Sunni Arabs.
Mr Maliki, from the dominant Shi'ite Islamist Alliance, has until May 22nd to present a cabinet to parliament.
He hopes to make announcement before that date and negotiators said yesterday that agreement on the top five ministries is close.
Sunni politician Saleem al-Jubouri said today that several scenarios were under discussion.
"The Alliance is insisting on the oil ministry, the Kurds are insisting on the foreign ministry and we in the Accordance Front want the finance portfolio," he said.
Leaders from the Alliance were expected to hold talks with a secular bloc headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a pro-American Shi'ite.
Some Shi'ite officials said his group was likely to win control of the Ministry of Defence. Sectarian violence has exploded since the February bombing of a Shi'ite shrine touched off reprisals and pushed Iraq closer than ever to a full-blown communal conflict.