Financial Times FT.com

Jaafari allies defy calls for him to quit

By Steve Negus, Iraq correspondent

Published: March 2 2006 19:51 | Last updated: March 2 2006 19:51

Allies of Ibrahim al-Jaafari on Thursday rejected a push by Iraq’s other main political blocs to replace him as prime minister, deepening the country’s political crisis as continued violence kept sectarian tensions high.

The campaign to push Mr Jaafari’s Shia-led coalition to choose another candidate “is neither reasonable nor natural”, said Ali al-Adib, a senior leader in Mr Jaafari’s Dawa party.

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