WASHINGTON- Top Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi said Sunday that delays in forming a new government were encouraging insurgents who have stepped up violence in recent weeks.
Chalabi, a faction leader in the United Iraqi Alliance, the biggest bloc in the new Iraqi assembly, said that the representation of Sunni Muslims and the distribution of jobs in the new cabinet were the main stumbling blocks to announcing a new government.
But he told CNN television in an interview: "We need a government immediately, and the delay in forming the cabinet has encouraged the terrorists, and I believe that we must move forward very, very quickly."
Prime minister-designate Ibrahim al-Jaafari hopes to announce a cabinet on Thursday but Sunni demands for eight posts has extended negotiations. Sunnis largely boycotted the landmark January 30 election and so have few representatives in the parliament.
Chalabi, a former favourite of the US administration, reaffirmed his opposition to seeing senior supporters of ousted president Saddam Hussein retain positions of power. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently warned against a purge of Iraqi Baathists.
Chalabi told CNN that keeping Baathists in office risked extending Iraq's troubles.
"The people who are doing the terrorism are sometimes close to the leaders and the commanders of the security forces, and the U.S. military admits that many times," he said.
"I believe that there are Iraqis from all communities who are not Baathists, who are victims of Saddam, who can actually lead the forces. We are not calling for a wholesale purge. We are calling for not giving leaders -- leadership positions to people who were high up in Saddam's pecking order in the security services, and we say that loyalty does count."
Chalabi also restated his view that insurgency leaders should not be given an amnesty.
"No amnesty for terrorists, no amnesty for the killers who continue to kill and maim and blow up institutions in Iraq. I believe that those people must be held to account," he said.
Chalabi would not discuss his hopes for a position in the government.
04/24/2005 17:16 GMT