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Ban calls Iraq power-sharing deal ‘major step’

UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday hailed a power sharing deal by Iraq’s rival parties as a “major step” that must be quickly followed up by forming a new government, his spokesman said.

Ban and the UN Security Council welcomed the accord made in Iraq. The UN leader called it “a major step forward in the country’s democratic process,” the spokesman said in a statement.

The naming of Nuri al-Maliki as prime minister designate after eight months of deadlock was “a compromise that will serve the collective interest of the Iraqi people,” Ban added.

“The secretary general calls on Iraqi leaders to continue demonstrating the same spirit of partnership in moving swiftly to conclude the formation of a new government.”

The Security Council said in a statement it “encourages Iraq’s leaders to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of national reconciliation” and emphasized the importance of the stability of Iraq for the whole region.