Maliki gets 30 days to form government

Iraq's president formally nominated Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a second term as the country's prime minister on Thursday, giving him 30 days to cobble together a government from competing factions that remain deeply divided and suspicious of his return to power. President Jalal Talabani first nominated Mr. Maliki when Iraq's new Parliament met in a stormy session two weeks ago. But he delayed the formal designation required by the country's Constitution until Thursday to give Mr. Maliki the maximum amount of time to negotiate the competing demands of parliamentary blocs that covet leadership posts. Mr. Talabani, a Kurd who was re-elected two weeks ago, announced the nomination in a televised ceremony at his Peace Palace on the Tigris River. He was joined by leaders of all the major parties except Mr. Maliki's main rival, Ayad Allawi, a Shiite whose coalition won the support of most of Iraq's Sunnis. President Talabani called on Mr. Maliki to form "a new government that we hope will be a government of national partnership and will not exclude anyone." It has been a long time coming.