WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush telephoned Iraq's new Sunni Muslim speaker Monday to congratulate him and renew his commitment to helping that war-torn country build a democracy, the White House said.
Bush called Sunni Arab Hajem al-Hassani and "thanked the speaker for agreeing to take on this important leadership role during this hopeful period in Iraq's history," said spokesman Scott McClellan.
The president met Hassani in late 2004 when Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi visited the United States, said McClellan.
Bush and Hassani discussed "the challenges and opportunities ahead" as Iraq's national assembly starts work on a permanent constitution and strives towards elections slate for late this year, said the spokesman.
"The speaker thanked the president for the United States' support and he expressed his hope that this period will help pave the way for peace and stability in Iraq," said McClellan.
"At the end of the call, the two leaders expressed confidence that democracy will succeed in Iraq. And the president reiterated our commitment of continued support for Iraq as they move forward," said the spokesman.
On Sunday, Iraqi's parliament chose Hassani as speaker and Shiite Hussein al-Shahrastani and Kurd Aref Tayfur as his two deputies, after their initial attempt ended in shambles last Tuesday when 16 Sunni Arab MPs refused to back the Shiites' preferred candidate for speaker.
The vote came even as parliament's Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni blocs remained far from agreement on a new governing coalition amid intense jockeying over the cabinet line-up, more than two months after the historic elections.
04/04/2005 13:57 GMT