Mahmoud Othman Quotations

There is no progress. We are sticking to our stance and they explained their stance.

Yesterday (Sunday) the meeting of the president with the other parties agreed on the principle of forming a national security council.

Settling these differences is not an easy matter and it cannot be done quickly.

If we'd had more time, it would have been possible to get Sunni participation. When Oct. 15 comes, many won't even have seen the constitution.

but the question is, would this draft satisfy the Sunni Arabs' demands.

I don't think anybody is in a hurry. They are completely out of touch with the voters.

I expect that there still will be difficulties over choosing the prime minister.

He doesn't share his decision with others, like his last visit to Turkey, which was wrong because he didn't tell his deputy, the president, the minister of foreign affairs. It was a decision he made by himself without going back to the government. Iraq is in a pool of blood and the prime minister left to visit Turkey, while in such a situation there shouldn't be any official outside the country.

When he promises something, he'll get it done. If he can't do it, he won't promise it.

He cannot make a successful prime minister. We experienced ... a year in which he was not capable of addressing the issues of Iraq. Why should we repeat this failure?

I think it's a double standard, and it's unfair.

I think that their interference is bad, and it further complicates issues because this is an Iraqi matter.

I think we will resume talks in a few days. We will also try to calm things down and get the (Arab) Sunnis again to sit at the table with everyone.

Really, we are disappointed with that. It seems like the Americans want to have a constitution at any cost,

The Americans say they don't intervene, but they have intervened deep. They gave us a detailed proposal, almost a full version of a constitution. They try to compromise the different opinions of all the political blocs. The U.S. officials are more interested in the Iraqi constitution than the Iraqis themselves, because they promised their people that it will be done August 15.

The Americans say they don't intervene, but they have intervened deep.

When it's in your favor, you say 'voters.' When it's not in your favor you say 'eligible voters.'

We have nothing against this choice and we are very happy that finally they have changed their candidate. This change will help the political process and very much help the formation of the new government.

The problem is that they started discussing the most difficult issue.

We are quickly running out of time. We are making very little progress in our negotiations. The situation is fragile and not one where we can afford to be divided. What the politicians don't seem to grasp is that if we don't act wisely and quickly, our decision could lead the country into even worse chaos.

We should not be with one side or the other, but somewhere in the middle.

There are intense talks going on. They are trying very hard to see if they can make last-minute changes for the Sunni Arabs.

Violence has its fingerprints on everything. It's affecting everything and every activity.

It would be more appropriate if they would leave us alone. Let us solve our problems by ourselves.

Sometimes it seems it is even more important to them that we get a deal. They are concerned, and very active, ... If there's no success, it affects them as well. I think they are almost more concerned than we are.

Someone should have said something. The other side is talking, and the American side is silent. To be silent here means you are on the weak side.

Any day that passes, we lose a day of work.

The U.S. wants a government more than we do. They are demanding with great insistence that the parliament be convened as soon as possible.

Americans are working very hard to work out something.

They made this change because they were afraid the constitution would be rejected. But now it may be counterproductive: they made the Sunnis so furious that maybe more of them will vote no.

They are divided and that is the reason why they are not able to reach a quick decision on the candidate.

It is very important to clarify - an investigation could help defuse tension.

It's a good step forward, and we will cooperate with him. I don't think he's a strong sectarian. Now he's a prime minister, and he has to rule all Iraq, he has to be balanced and objective.

It's very difficult to reach something that the Sunnis can agree to. Tomorrow will be crucial.

It's unfair and I didn't vote for it. It's a double standard and it shouldn't have happened.

Everyone is nervous. The security situation is not good. There are so many explosions at the checkpoints and near the convoys. The Americans are afraid. And when the driver doesn't see them, it happens sometimes that civilians are killed. It is a tragedy that most of the victims are civilians. It is making life more difficult. But this is our situation. It is very dangerous.

The visit to Turkey showed that he makes decision without consulting anybody, like during the last Cabinet. That has ignited a new dissatisfaction.

The nation's political parties supported the decision to delay the session until all parties agree on all the nominees for the key posts.

The cancellation of this meeting is a regrettable thing because such meetings are essential under the current situation.

If there is goodwill from everybody, there could be more concessions,

If the position of the Shiite alliance is final, then things will be more complicated and the formation of the government might face delays.

By what I saw today, I don't think this can be achieved tomorrow.

The change is good for the country even if the constitution fails, because I prefer it to be honest and fair and democratic.

The main demands are the same ones that the Sunnis have been talking about all along.