AL-KUWAYT, August 11, 6:16 /ITAR-TASS/. Security units loyal to Iraq's present Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Monday cordoned the green zone, the thoroughly guarded district of the capital where diplomatic missions of various countries and state institutions are located.
The Sky News Arabia television channel reports that special units have set up checkpoints at the entrance to the Iraqi capital and surrounded most of strategically critical facilities.
Eye-witness accounts have it that tanks have been brought into the main thoroughfares and a high operational alert has been declared. Media reports say troops began to deploy way back 90 minutes prior to al-Maliki's speech, in which he, specifically, accused President Fouad Massoum, who had been elected on July 24, of a "breach of the Constitution".
The Head of Government stated, "I shall file a suit with the Federal Court against the President for a breach of the Constitution."
The Prime Minister also announced his intention to continue to strive for the Premier's office for a third time despite Monday's expiry of the deadline for the presentation of an application for participation in the elections. From now on, the nomination of any candidate is a violation of the Constitution.
On Sunday night, the Iraqi parliament postponed a session dedicated to the election of the country's new Prime Minister until August 19. The decision was prompted by the lack of consensus among parliament members as to candidacies for premiership. In particular, the Kurdish National Coalition, of which Massoum is one of leaders, failed to come to terms about a single candidate.
The President in Iraq performs mainly representational functions while power is actually in the hands of Prime Minister whose election constitutes the main intrigue in the light of the current crisis in the sphere of security.