VP Mahdi: First: I do not agree that there is a verbal quarrel between ISCI and Dawa and that this prevents the forming of a government or push matters to a dead end road. Democracy is transparency, disclosing papers, and certain claims, and contexts supported by this party and refused by other Parties. ISCI can not disrupt the formation of the next government because it does not represent a major bloc in Parliament. Thus the large blocs who are negotiating and who we have supported during their negotiating have the initiative. The problem should not be deported from parties to other parties. Yes, there is a give and take, and this is a good thing. In the government, there are four contexts or four specific demands, each of which is eligible to form a government. ISCI has called up for round table negotiations where all the winning lists sit and reach a single resolution, but there was a party which rejected the proposal. Option two is reaching an agreement between Aliraqiah and SOL, and we have supported this option; because it has 180 seats, but in three rounds of negotiations they did not reach a result, because of the intransigence of one of the parties, while the other parties show flexibility. Do not stick to one site, and discuss different scenarios.

Reporter: Did AlIraqia list concede the nomination of Dr. Iyad Allawi?

VP Mahdi: It did not waive this requirement, Aliraqiah considers itself as the larger list because the National Alliance cannot provide a single candidate, but as long as Dr. Allawi said and his list is willing to show flexibility about the prime minister post. If the options and mechanisms were clear, they did not say that either their candidate or we will not participate in the government, which is completely different with SOL. The National Alliance did not nominate any candidate, and thus today there are negotiations between Aliraqiah and INA. I hope they will reach a certain result, these options exist: either the winning lists come together, or two lists get come together to form a government, or the options that I have mentioned. Problems should not be deported with words of self-consumption or to falsify the general picture.

Reporter: Who is deporting the problems?

VP Mahdi: I think that SOL bears direct responsibility, I'm not talking about Dawa party, I am talking about "state of law". It is directly responsible because they tried with the National Alliance and did not succeed, and tried with Aliraqiah and it did not work. It refuses the option of the Round Table; thus intransigence with one demand despite all the other parties had expressed a position on this nomination. I think this rigidity is not in SOL's interest or the Dawa Party and Iraq.

Reporter: If we say that the hardening of the position is a peg to hang all the mistakes, if this hardening of the position is coming from Dr. Ayad Allawi and Almaliki and got approved unanimously, which blames the problems on the other parties: the Kurdish alliance and INA, and it seems that INA itself is still undecided.

VP Mahdi: Now, there are negotiations, and there were with Aliraqiah. We have not seen a prior proposal that says we did not continue negotiations, only to give this position; this is what I'm saying. Allawi has the right to demand this position, and Almaliki as well, any other candidate that can get the 163 seats can the demand this post. Any list that does not have more than 90 or 91 seats, then alliances is the only way to form the government which needs (163) seats in the Parliament. Any party whatsoever that has more than twenty, thirty, fourteen seats. Sadrists have thirty-nine seats and is speaking on behalf of thirty-nine seats. If we go on like this, Dawa Party, ISCI, virtue party, and Kurdish alliance itself as a party, to have its own seats beyond the thirty or forty seats, then we need alliances and the logic of alliances is what constitutes the government.
Now, we find that putting one candidate and insist only on a single candidate is a dead end road. Either to go with the candidates we have to use the round table, that is what ISCI says because it has a significant influence in its list, and another has a weight in its coalition. A party that has weight in the national scene, and eventually the COR will vote for this issue. So we sit at a round table to negotiate or political forces vote on the candidates before the parliament session and see who has the heavy weight and then he will be the national candidate ,therefore, we must develop clear contexts .

Reporter: SOL accuses INA of delaying the formation of the government and said that INA is now putting its candidates: Dr. Ibrahim Aljaafari and Adel Abdul Mahdi, INA did not accept our candidate and did not provide candidates.

VP Mahdi: No, this is not true, things began first by holding negotiations between Aliraqiah and SOL and we supported it. If we had rejected such negotiations, then some would say that INA has hampered it. Aliraqiah held negotiations with SOL, and they have 180 seats, and they can form a government. INA Cannot be a lever raises another when it fails in negotiations or come in and say either me or I cannot accept another candidate, meaning he is in the National Alliance and nominates another candidate on behalf of the National Alliance, on behalf of 159 seat, the contexts must be clear.

Reporter: The National Alliance entered the first Parliament session without a candidate, and this is what SOL says as the primary reason for the delay?

VP Mahdi: The National Coalition has seventy of 325 seats, which are less than a third. Any agreement must get two-thirds and not just seventy seats, seventy cannot disrupt choosing a prime minister, or interrupt a course because other parties would hold two-thirds and more, and they could be entitled to from the government. Between INA and SOL there is a long story, and we do not want to go into this issue. Before the election, there was a tendency towards unification, that step was rejected by our brothers in SOL, after the elections, brothers in SOL began to pressure to restructure the National Alliance. However, INA did accept with conditions, not to enforce, nor a refusal, this is the main principle for the post of prime minister, and then they put mechanisms: either agree unanimously, or vote with 80% of the vote, or go to third options. When INA objected Almaliki nomination, SOL said "give us your candidates", and suppose we had given our candidates and our candidates were rejected. We are with selecting a settlement candidate, or finding a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth candidate. The country is not short of qualified men. They would stop here, as if we want to continue this vicious circle; therefore INA is not an obstacle;
SOL described Aliraqiah as a list which has been abroad, and that they represent, etc. And then we see three rounds of negotiations and attempts aimed at distribution sites ... and so on. Who is blocking the way must be marked. Blocking the road is to insist on a single candidate, and we have chosen the democracy in our country, and devolution of power.

Reporter: Let me convey to you the Iraqi scene today. SOL says specifically that ISCI which has 20 seats, refuses 89 seats' candidate, why don't you let Nuri Almaliki enter the National Alliance, and then you either vote in favor, or refuses him? Would this rejection be a coup against democracy?

VP Mahdi: Do we have one parliament or two? I mean, do we have a parliament with 159 seats, followed by parliament with 325 seats? SOL says that they are going out of the sectarian equation, and today my equation is national equation. Let's go with candidates to the national scene. We'll see which candidate would have the majority of the votes. If Nuri Almaliki would have the full support, then we will support him, or other brothers in SOL. O.k., I've got 89 seats and you have 20 seats, also 70 seats are not being counted for me, on one hand, he is speaking on behalf of his list while he comes to the other party and speaks on behalf of the entity or the joint party in the list. I mean this is a double standard in vision and logic. In regard to having a settlement option to resolve this issue within the framework of the first circle, there is nothing wrong with this option, and we have put mechanisms in place for liquidation under the first circle. We have not got to choose one candidate, or to go with national option, and then COR would be the judge. Before that, political forces can diagnose the right person for this stage, support him, this ensures an absolute majority in the COR. This is a clear democratic context, the COR will not vote, the political forces propose the option within the alliance with the Kurdish brothers, and Aliraqiah List. Then we go and explore the opinion and say we have three or four candidates, which one do you prefer? Then we know this option is the national democratic choice.

Reporter: O.k., now how is it that we enter the COR and there are no agreements?

VP Mahdi: No, no agreements, meetings and deliberations are taking place between the various parties. Today, the political forces will meet, and there will be initiatives on the table in the meeting, I hope they will reach an agreement, if they not reach an agreement, then this is another great dilemma. There are agreements, and there are scientific visions on the table. Others should show some flexibility and abandon their solely thesis. Democracy is solutions and multiple options put forward, not one solution, and this is what allows continued transfer of power, diversity, and the renewal of the covenant. And to insist on one solution then others must catch up with it, otherwise, they are obstructing the process, and that is not correct and we do not really want to get into controversy because everyone affected by this solution, we must take into account the rules of work.

Reporter: If we say that the National Alliance "reached an impasse", which means the largest bloc is Aliraqiah?

VP Mahdi: If there will be no National Alliances' candidates, then of course, Aliraqiah would be the largest bloc. What matters is not the formation of the bloc, but to have one candidate.

Reporter: Did the national alliance nominate one candidate?

VP Mahdi: The issue of National Alliances' candidate has not been resolved yet.

Reporter: There is another feature of the features of the crisis. Away from the SOL, INA is not perfectly united, the Sadrists has an opinion and other parties have a different opinion?

VP Mahdi: This is true, but it does not disrupt anything, seventy seats cannot disrupt the larger blocs, "Aliraqiah and SOL" I want to be in the opposition, I do not disrupt something, when I want to support a candidate. I do disrupt nothing; I am not the owner of the highest number which represents a majority only if you want to walk in spite of my will or in spite of my own perceptions. I say these are my own perceptions, I cannot support this candidate. What is wrong with this, isn't it an experiment in all countries of the world?

Reporter: There is a problem between the Sadrists and the rest of INA's forces, like ISCI, about nominating one candidate; it seems from the talks that each party goes to a different destination?

Reporter: This is incorrect, the day before yesterday a very successful meeting was held between INA and Aliraqiah list, and there are still ongoing meetings between SOL and INA. As well as with the Kurdish alliance, there are unilateral meetings between some political forces, and there are meetings between INA and other coalitions, and this is agreed upon within the coalition, each party has the right to negotiate, meet, and exchange information.

Reporter: Will Sadrists support ISCI's candidate for Prime Minister Post?

VP Mahdi: It did not seem like it so far; but there are positive statements emerged by Sayed Muqtada Alsadr that INA will agree on one candidate, and there are scenarios for this candidate, but the issue of nominating INA's candidate is not on the table yet, but others put it forward. There is a perception inside INA, that we might be able to reach an agreement on one candidate.

Reporter: These words remind us of the atmosphere in Syria, and meeting, which was described by MP Sami Alaskari (Muqtada - Allawi), what are the causes of this sudden entrance of Syria to the political landscape?

VP Mahdi: No, not a sudden entrance, most of the neighboring countries have an interest in developing the Iraqi situation and are interested in how to develop the Iraqi situation, even the United States, Britain, and others have an interest in the development of the Iraqi file, there have been many Iraqis negotiations in Iran, in UAE, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and there was a meeting in Damascus between Sayed Muqtada Alsadr and Dr. Allawi. It is well known that Syria has good relations with most Iraqi parties, Syria was an important place for the Iraqi opposition; and therefore it is normal for this meeting to be held. We have repeatedly stated that this is an acceptable step as long as the Iraqi player believes that his final decision is in Baghdad, and as long as he is not being guided by foreign agendas, but understands the foreign agendas to put it in the right place, then he comes to the national agenda and tries to deal with the matter on the basis of the national base.

Reporter: You know that many of these meetings are diplomatic, in return for favors, Muqtada Alsadr - Allawi, Alhakim-Allawi, all of these meetings are not real, and ISCI and Sadrists will not give a Sunni list the Prime Minister's chair?

VP Mahdi: Then they are not part of the problem, if they are not part of the solution. If these forces are not effective then they are not part of the problem, they want to help and be a part of the solution to this. I repeat and repeat, when Aliraqiah and SOL decided to meet, we welcomed this and found the features of a solution and we have welcomed the three rounds, if they reach a dead end road then other options will be opened, INA would be part of the solution.

Reporter: Could ISCI and the Sadrists take such an adventure for the delivery of Sunni bloc candidate to the prime minister post?

VP Mahdi: There are negotiations and there is a debate, we are not negotiating as Sunni and Shia, we negotiating as Iraqis; Sunni, Shiite, Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen, and what is the equation that make up the natural balance in this phase.

Reporter: You mentioned that the current prime minister did not have enough seats in the parliament at the beginning of the formation of the government. I understand from your words that the Prime Minister was supported by forces, and he turned against them, where did the Prime Minister turn against you? Let me refer you to the point that there is talk about the domination of Dawa part of the secretariat of the council of ministers?

VP Mahdi: In regard to the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, there was agreement on the Cabinet Secretariat, and when I talk Mr. Almaliki hears me, there was a candidate who was agreed upon, but they started to get around, starting with the Secretariat of the Council Ministers. We believe that the parliament was disrupted by the Minister of State for Parliament affair with all respect to that person, I'm not talking about his personality, and all people are respected. From Mr. Almaliki and everyone else, we are brothers and friends, but we are talking about the interests of the country, the parliament was restricted, and its power and authority was usurped. Especially in the issue of accountability and questioning, what you have to do is to refer to the media and the press, and you as a channel have a huge archive. See how much the government was obstructed in the issue of interrogation, while the government has a duty to encourage the interrogation, not to hamper it, and we did not get into the interrogation phase. Which is half the work of the Council of Representatives, and the other half is passing laws, but a new Parliament speaker was elected, it was considered a conspiracy. As well as the powers of the Presidency Council, between us and the presidency of the Ministers numerous letters and demands to trample the prerogatives of the presidency, the constitutional powers, and our correspondence, and the powers of the Council of Ministers, the constitution authorizes the Council of Ministers to take decisions, and it's the real power. Not the prime minister. The Council of Ministers is the real power; this has also been influenced by what you spoke about. The general Secretariat and its role in adapting the work of the Council of Ministers and we have many detailed and serious observations.

Reporter: I would love to take a comment from you on what is called the return of the Baath party project which was spoken by SOL. So often, for example, after Aliraqiah gets the prime minister post, they will change the military officers and important officers in the army, security forces, and the next step will be the liquidation of some political figures in the country for the events of dislocation of the situation and the Baath comes back in a legitimate and legal way, how do you comment on this?

VP Mahdi: If Aliraqiah is the representative of the Baath, then why negotiate with them? Now everyone goes and negotiates with Aliraqiah because it's one of the biggest wining lists. This is a position which should be built upon. After all, the door was open in front of senior Baathists to return to the state for four years, thousands of them returned in the security services, army, police and government offices. This when AlIraqia was not ruling the country. Thus this subject should not be exploited by the national forces. All the forces involved in the political process are national forces.

Reporter: if we assume that the political process continued to suffer from the crisis, what are the features of the proposed scenario which is the international intervention? There is talk that the meeting of the United Nations may discuss the issue of Iraq, how could this be?

VP Mahdi: No, The Iraqi situation wants to move out of international intervention. This is our path, we paid its entitlements along the last seven years. We should not go back to it, and we all should bear the responsibility to not get to that point. Yes, Iraq might be pushed into such tracks; but the duty of the political forces and the duty of constitutional powers, like the parliament, the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister and President of the Republic, all of them block the road and try to activate the mechanisms which increases the weight of the Iraqi solution and the Iraqi relations and not to go to regional and international solutions. What is pushing us towards those solutions is two things. First thing is to accuse some of being part of international solutions, and the second is the desire of some to bring international solutions. A national awareness should be formed toward these issues so that we can protect Iraq and protect the positive development that took place in ridding Iraq of UN resolutions embargo, sanctions, Chapter VII, foreign intervention, and occupation. Today are seeing the troops withdraw. We must encourage this process and not to encourage the opposite.

Reporter: The U.S. position, how do you evaluate the U.S. position; there is talk that American pressure is weak. Does the US have a role in the solution?

VP Mahdi: The U.S. position can be called weak, but the U.S. position has lost the situation it was dealing with before the signing of the withdrawal. It did have a huge mandate in Iraq by UN, and that mandate gave its representatives roles which were not neutral. As Mr. Bremer did, then Ambassadors Khalilzad, they were acting as civil rulers not U.S Ambassador of a friendly country. Now after the agreement, the nature of the U.S. role has changed, but the U.S. still plays a role in influencing the Iraqi players.