BAGHDAD – Iraqi party leaders planned delicate talks that could end Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's divisive rule after a top Shiite cleric called for a new premier to be chosen without delay to tackle rebels threatening to tear apart the country. Major powers are pushing for a new inclusive government, rather than one pursuing Shiite sectarian domination, to be formed fast to counter the insurrection that has spilled across the border with Syria and could menace the wider Middle East. In a striking political intervention on Friday that could signal the demise of Maliki's eight-year tenure, Ali Sistani urged political blocs to agree on the next premier, parliament speaker and president before a newly elected legislature meets in Baghdad on Tuesday. “The next 72 hours are very important to come up with an agreement..., to push the political process forward,” said a lawmaker and ex-government official from the National Alliance, which groups all Shiite Muslim parties. The lawmaker, who asked for anonymity due to political sensitivities, said he expected internal meetings of the various parties and a broader session of the National Alliance including Maliki's State of Law list to be held through the weekend. Sistani's entry into the fray will make it hard for Maliki to stay on as caretaker leader as he has since a parliamentary election in April. That means he must either build a coalition to confirm himself in power for a third term or step aside. Sistani's message was delivered after a meeting of Shiite factions including the State of Law coalition failed to agree on a consensus candidate for prime minister. – Reuters
