Iraqi women lawmakers protest mostly male Cabinet

[December 21, 2010]  BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi women lawmakers are protesting in parliament against the new, mostly male Cabinet.

They staged the protest at the opening of the parliament session Tuesday where lawmakers are expected to vote on the new government submitted by the prime minister Monday.

A senior woman lawmaker, Alaa Talabani, read out a statement of protest that said she knew of only one woman nominated -- for the women's affairs ministry. But the final number of women in the Cabinet lineup is still not known.

Despite this, Talabini said women lawmakers would vote for the new government so as to not hold the political process hostage.

By law, a quarter of Iraq's 325 parliament posts go to women, but that has not translated into similar representation in the Cabinet.

___

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
AP's earlier story is below.

___

BAGHDAD (AP) -- The leader of the Sunni-backed bloc that had vigorously opposed Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returning to power says he will fully support the new government.

Former prime minister Ayad Allawi told lawmakers during a parliament session Tuesday that his bloc of 91 lawmakers would support and cooperate with the new government.

He spoke just before an expected parliament vote to approve the new Cabinet proposed by al-Maliki late Monday.

[Associated Press; By BARBARA SURK and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.