Iraqi President Jalal Talabani officially named Nuri al-Maliki to a second term as premier on Thursday, allowing him a month to form a cabinet. The move, delayed to give Maliki as much time as possible to negotiate with his rivals, signals an end to the political battle between Iraq's factions, which has lasted sincethe March 7 election.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi of Iraqiya Alliance will also be a part of the government, as head of Iraq's Council of Strategic Policy. According to AFP, Talabani had earlier been expected to name Maliki as premier last Sunday, immediately after the holiday of Eid al-Adha, but delayed the decision to give him more days to negotiate ministerial posts.
