Iraq's Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc told parliament today it would remain in a Shia-led government, despite a walkout and angry comments from its leader that threatened to damage the long-sought accord.
Iraqiya's leader, former prime minister Iyad Allawi, skipped the parliamentary session and headed to London for family engagements after telling CNN in an interview that power-sharing between Iraq's Shia, Kurdish and Sunni factions was "dead."
Mr Allawi and most of Iraqiya's MPs walked out of parliament on Thursday in a protest that showed the fragility of a deal reached this week between the fractious political blocs to give Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki a second term.
That agreement ended an eight-month impasse after an inconclusive March election in which Mr Allawi's cross-sectarian alliance, supported heavily by minority Sunnis, won two more seats than Maliki's mainly Shia bloc but no majority.
"There was a misunderstanding that happened between the political blocs," Iraqiya spokesman Haidar al-Mulla told a session of parliament today. "All blocs are going ahead in executing all the agreements. We confirm that Iraqiya will be part of a national partnership government."
The announcement eased concerns that the deal - reached after months of rancorous bargaining which had heightened fears of renewed sectarian violence - might fall apart, but left Mr Allawi's position unclear.
“We think the concept of power-sharing is dead now," Mr Allawi told CNN in an interview. "It's finished."
Asked how the end of a power-sharing deal might affect a future government, he said: "For Iraq, there will be tensions and violence, probably."
Mr Allawi headed to London to be with his family, Iraqiya officials said. Some Iraqiya representatives said they were surprised he had departed and that he had not told them he was going.
Others said Mr Allawi's harsh rhetoric was meant to pressure Mr Maliki into keeping his promises.
Mr Maliki has enough support from Shia and Kurdish parties, and from a few dozen Sunni MPs, to rule without Iraqiya.
But Washington and Arab countries are keen to ensure the Sunni-supported bloc is represented, otherwise Sunni anger might reinvigorate a weakened but still lethal insurgency.
Iraq needs a stable government to rebuild infrastructure and exploit its vast oil wealth as violence ebbs, seven years after the US-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.
Under the deal reached three days ago, politicians divided up the three top posts along sectarian lines.
Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni Arab leader of Iraqiya, was elected as speaker, and Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, was reappoitned as president. Mr Maliki, a Shia, was nominated as prime minister while Mr Allawi was made head of a yet-to-be-created policy council.
But Thursday's show of unity quickly unravelled when two-thirds of Iraqiya’s MPs walked out.
Mr Allawi told CNN he was thinking of forming a parliamentary opposition rather than taking part in the government. "I will not be a part of this theatre," he said. "This is a new dictatorship that is happening in Iraq."