Ahead of Election, Iraq's Leader Pushes for Gains
JANAJUH, Iraq — Few have as much to gain or lose from the provincial elections on Saturday as Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, whose party is battling rivals across Iraq.
From palm grove-sheltered villages, like his hometown here in southern Iraq, to the crowded streets of Baghdad, Iraqis will cast votes that will strongly signal how much power Mr. Maliki, an increasingly authoritarian leader, will be able to command. Either the vote will strengthen his party at the local level or it will bolster his rivals, who want to keep more power in the provinces.
For now, Mr. Maliki is trying to reassure Iraqis that while he will be a strong leader, he will also respect local interests. At a gathering of thousands of tribal leaders in Karbala recently, he said, "The iron centralization has ended," and added that the country would have federalism, a term used here to mean provincial power.
Many Iraqi politicians — even some onetime allies — do not believe him. They fear a return to the sway of a single leader, arbitrary and bloodthirsty, with power concentrated in Baghdad.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/world/middleeast/26maliki.html?_r=1
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