VP Mahdi/It's more than I imagined. I developed a vision and the perception of this vision is to stimulate public opinion and some of the brothers and sisters in the House. But for now, especially with today's meeting, the situation moved qualitatively to something else. All blocs have adopted this initiative now, and that's good. In the past, this was cut off point, meaning that it was not reaching the other side, or to the media or to the corridors of the House of Representatives.

I think it's a good move. Keeping the movement in the hands of the masses only, and without House of Representatives sessions means the lack of an effective legislature. That's why we call for the convening of sessions of the Council of Representatives.

Reporter/You say that all blocs agree upon this initiative, at the time we see a clear absence of members of SOL, your partners in the "National Alliance"?

VP Mahdi/ They ask about this subject, and I read a statement from a member of State of Law in an Iraqi newspapers today. It said that the initiative has complicated the process and has not opened new horizons. I do not know if he is authorized to give a statement or not? I do not know how the process is being complicated.

It's the right of the House of Representatives and the Iraqi people to understand where the political process should go, and how things are running in the corridors of power. There is to much confidentiality in the undeclared negotiations. The Council of Representative is the supreme authority in the country.

The absence of its role under the pretext of negotiations between the blocs is not true. Blocs can negotiate and must negotiate, but this should not prevent members of the House of Representatives from taking their roles. An MP was elected by his name, not by closed lists, and was sworn in person, and tomorrow will vote as an individual, or may vote in contrary to the desire of his list. Lists and blocs are an important subject and must be preserved, but the first allegiance of the single MP is to his constituency, not for his bloc or for his party.

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Reporter/This talk is true in theory, but practically everyone knows that the Iraqi political scene is dominated by a few political leaders?

VP Mahdi/We want to change this thing. We have emerged from an experience that was governed by one person, and if you say that the experience today is governed by 15 individuals, then it is certainly better than one person. We want to get out from individuals control to people control their deputies, but I don't want to blame the heads of blocs solely the responsible of what happens.

I do not agree that the separation occurs between the head of the bloc and his list, but I try to arrange priorities, and the priority is the interest of the MP is his constituents.

Reporter/ There was much talk on the relationship between the coalitions, "Iraqi National" and "state of law" and my question is: What do the two coalitions want from each other?

VP Mahdi/ You know that the two coalitions came out from a single coalition, and like any political movement when they are united, there remains a list of links and relations. The two belong to one political arena, and these things are stressful and cannot be disposed of by taking individual decisions. There are differences of opinion, true, but the two coalitions are willing to form a large bloc. There was a similar crisis in 2005, but because they were closer to the majority Quorum, the understanding between us was easier.

Reporter/ Two days ago the leader of the Aliraqiah Dr. Iyad Allawi, said that the National Alliance takes responsibility for delaying the formation of the government?

VP Mahdi/ Dr. Iyad Allawi tells the truth, because if the National Alliance wants to be the largest bloc, it must nominate one candidate for prime minister and so far they have not done so.

If the National Alliance cannot reach an agreement, then Aliraqiah remains the largest bloc, according to the constitution.

Reporter/ Some talk about a scenario that all the candidates for prime minister will go to the House of Representatives and the Council will choose one candidate by voting?

VP Mahdi/All candidates cannot go to the House of Representatives, but blocs' nominees can go to the political forces and get approved.

Reporter/ the National Alliance submitted two candidates, can this contribute in resolving the issues, or vice versa?

VP Mahdi/Now there are two candidates, either one of them gives up or one of them wins. In short, if they select one candidate then it will be an important step.

Reporter/ You talked about the concession of one of the candidates, are you willing to give up?

VP Mahdi/I have no problem in this direction, I gave up several times, I would step down if there is any interest in doing that, but it should be under the interest of establishing a successful government.

Reporter/ If the INA, Aliraqiah, and Kurds agree, why do you not leave behind State of Law and from a government?

VP Mahdi/I said that this depends on the negotiations, and there is a conflict even among the lists itself and the question is how to reconcile these demands. It is not resolved simply by expressing the desire or public support, but after the public support comes the process of entering into the details and see the possible practical for the transformation of support into reality.

Reporter/isn't this incompatible with the "Shiite quasi-belief", which says that the prime minister should go to an influential Shiite Muslim in particular?

VP Mahdi/ No, but others recognize this, the Shiite is a majority in Iraq, and it is natural to get a prime minister post,

Reporter/Iyad Allawi is Shiite, but he is not desired by the Shiite forces to head the government?

VP Mahdi/Allawi was the Prime Minister in the first stage, and we supported him a lot but this was not the title, before the elections, we went to him to ask him to be part of the Iraqi National Coalition, and voices have emerged from the coalition to Allawi's nomination.

In any election there is a certain balance equation that goes into governing the country, and not because the person belongs only to a certain sect.
I do not deny that Iraq was ruled according to the sect over the past decades, and the transition from this situation to a new one takes time, and today the elections are more open than the 2005 elections at both a religious and national level.