Thread: Archive News - Iraqi Dinar Think Tank - 01/10/09 - 27/03/10

Etisalat still upbeat on expansion into Iraq

Etisalat, the UAE's largest telecommunications operator, plans to expand into Iraq after making an offer to acquire one of its three m.obile operators, Korek Telecom. Humam Amara, the chief E.xecutive of Korek, said negotiations between the two companies began last month but broke off after Korek rejected an offer from Etisalat to buy a majority stake.

"The most recent communication we have had with Etisalat has not been too positive," said Mr Amara. "We were all surprised that they were making these announcements that they are close to closing a deal with us."

But Etisalat hinted last night that the deal may not have gone cold. A spokesman said there would probably be an announcement about the Iraq market by the end of next month.

"Etisalat is still keen on the Iraqi market," said Ahmed bin Ali, the senior vice president of corporate communications for Etisalat. "With regards to Korek, the issue would be more clear by the end of April."

Etisalat has been keen on entering Iraq since 2008, when it began its first round of talks with Korek, but poor economic conditions put those discussions on hold. Senior Etisalat E.xecutives have also considered applying for a fourth m.obile phone operator's licence in Iraq. Mohammed Omran, the chairman of Etisalat, said last month the company was looking at investing in Korek as part of its international expansion this year.

Etisalat has about Dh9 billion (US$2.45bn) in cash to fund acquisitions this year and is considering six regional operators to invest in, Mr Omran said. Mr Amara said three other operators had approached him about acquiring Korek but none was involved in formal discussions. He said Korek was valued at about $3bn. Korek became Iraq's third m.obile company after buying a licence from the government in 2008 for $1.25bn. It has about 3 million subscribers and mainly operates in the Kurdistan region.

Agility, a Kuwaiti logistics company, bought a 50 per cent stake in Korek for $500 million in 2007. It said last year it planned to divest its non-core assets.

Iraq is considered by industry watchers as the last major opportunity for telecoms operators to expand in the Middle East. The country has a m.obile penetration of about 60 per cent, with subsidiaries of Zain and Qtel controlling most of the market. Most Iraqis rely on m.obiles because much of the country's fixed-line infrastructure was destroyed in decades of war.

If Etisalat were to buy Korek, the operator would probably provide its new subsidiary with enough capital to build a national wireless network to compete with Qtel and Zain, said Simon Simonian, a telecoms analyst with Shuaa Capital.

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZA...%20Into%20Iraq

PM Maliki emerges as front-runner after Iraq vote

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the Shiite leader who helped ease Iraq's deadly sectarian conflict, emerged Monday as a front-runner after an election seen as a test of the nation's young democracy.

The key estimates from the Baghdad region, which could swing the results of Sunday's poll, were not yet available but local officials said Maliki was so far leading in the nine of Iraq's 18 provinces.
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Maliki's State of Law Alliance was ahead in Shiite regions while Iyad Allawi, an ex-premier who heads the secular Iraqiya list, was leading in Sunni areas, said unofficial estimates AFP obtained from officials across the country.

Official final results were not due until the end of March, and after that it will likely take months of horsetrading before a new government is formed as no political bloc is set to emerge dominant from the vote. But early indications were looking good for Maliki.
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Maliki downplayed his party's Shiite religious roots for this election campaign and sought to portray himself as the leader who restored security to Iraq, a claim dented by a series of recent bombings in Baghdad. His main challenger, according to the initial estimates, is Allawi, whose Iraqiya is a mostly Shiite slate that has campaigned on a nationalist and nonsectarian ticket. The other leading list is the Iraqi National Alliance, which is dominated by two Shiite religious parties, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council and the movement loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. It also includes ex-deputy prime minister Ahmed Chalabi, the man whose faulty intelligence on weapons of mass destruction encouraged the United States to invade Iraq.
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http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidAN...%20Iraq%20vote

Just Berwari: the Iraqi people want democracy for the peaceful coexistence

MP Adel Berwari from the Kurdistan Alliance, "The turnout at the polls and the generality of Iraq prove that the Iraqi people want democracy for the peaceful coexistence".

He Berwari in contact with the agency and the independent press (Iba) "This peaceful coexistence are not taken only by a unified federal constitutional guarantees of equality and justice for all components of the people," he said, "The challenge for the bombings of the Iraqi people on election day guide added to his great desire for this coexistence."

The Baghdad and other provinces have experienced security violations mortar rounds and improvised explosive devices targeting civilian facilities and polling stations led to the killing and wounding dozens of people.

Berwari stressed that "the parliamentary elections were a great occasion for all Iraqis from north to south to prove their patriotism and their strong desire to participate extensive evidence of the great patriotism."

The Independent Higher Commission for Elections has announced that the turnout in the vote for the whole of Iraq amounted to 62.4%.

He Berwari "All the blocs and political forces want to build a stable foundation for national," noting that "figures candidate for the elections in all the blocs and political forces representing all shades of the Iraqi people."

The most blocs and political forces that participated in previous elections, which took place in 2005 was built on a foundation of national and communal.

http://www.ipairaq.com/index.php?nam...itics&id=22292

Hossam Al-Azzawi: Iraq seeks to form a true partnership government that serves the Iraqi people without discrimination

Attorney Hossam al-Azzawi from Iraq, "said his bloc seeks true partnership to form a government to serve the Iraqi people without discrimination," stressing "the need to work this government to open the resolution of all outstanding issues including national reconciliation file."

He said al-Azzawi in contact with the Agency for the independent press (Iba) "The orientation of Iraq was evident since 2003, which calls its program for active participation and real for all Iraqis, without marginalization and exclusion."

The decision would not declare the Electoral Commission for elections on the initial results of the parliamentary elections Assembly during the next two days.

He said al-Azzawi, "The Iraq needs to build a real based on the national basis away from the political quotas, exclusion and marginalization," noting that "the Iraqi people have spoken in the elections and chose to national building and develop the country."

The previous elections, which took place in 2005 has produced a political system to govern Iraq based on national and sectarian lines.

He stressed Azzawi that "the failure Kabirovi all fields and in the Iraq during the past period have made the Iraqi street, looking for the national project that pulled him to build Iraq on the basis of professional and national participation of everyone".

And all the political blocs participating in elections has raised the slogan of change to rebuild Iraq on the basis of a new out of quotas in all its forms.

http://www.ipairaq.com/index.php?nam...itics&id=22287

UN envoy says Iraq elections transparent

UN’s special envoy to Iraq Ad Melkert described Iraq Parliamentary elections as transparent.

Counting votes will take a long time, Melkert said urging political parties to accept results.

Melkert stressed on the historic impact of Iraq elections after announcing that voters turnout reached 62 % despite violence.

Security forces are now capable of taking hold of Iraq’s security more efficiently, Melkert added.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News...ansparent.html

Al Maliki:Iraq eyes buildup after elections

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki affirmed that the government is heading after elections to start build up and reestablish relations with neighboring countries, thus benefiting from their efforts aimed to help stabilize the country on basis of equality.

Al Maliki called world companies to contribute to Iraq’s reconstruction.

In a meeting with international observers of elections, Al Maliki stressed that Iraq was in need of the observers’ role.

Prime Minister Al Maliki hoped elections would result of a State based on democracy.

http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News...elections.html

Baghdad holds key as Iraq awaits initial vote results

Iraq awaited initial results Tuesday from polls touted as a test of its young democracy, with Baghdad holding the key as the prime minister's list and its top secular rival jockeyed for pole position. Thirty percent of votes were due to be counted by the evening, giving Iraq's complex range of political blocs their first official indication of how they fared in the second general election since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite who helped ease the country's deadly sectarian strife, emerged Monday as the front-runner, according to estimates AFP obtained from officials across the country. But he could yet face a tough battle to cling to power after the vote on Sunday that saw millions defy bomb, mortar and rocket attacks which killed 38 people to cast their ballots.

Estimates of early trends in the Baghdad region, which with its 70 parliamentary seats could swing the result of the vote, are not yet available. However, officials said on Monday that Maliki's political bloc was leading the count in nine of Iraq's 18 provinces. His State of Law Alliance was ahead in Shiite regions, while Iyad Allawi, a former premier who heads the Iraqiya list, led in Sunni areas, according to estimates AFP obtained from officials across the country.

The complete results will be announced on March 18 and the final official results -- after any appeals are taken into account -- will come at the end of the month. Months of horse-trading are then likely before a new government is formed.

Early indications were positive for Maliki, however. A source close to him said it now looked as if his list would secure 100 seats in the 325-seat parliament.

Maliki was appointed premier in 2005 as a compromise candidate, and his administration, with the essential help of the US military, sharply reduced the Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis. He played down his party's Shiite religious roots in campaigning for this election and sought to portray himself as the leader who restored security to Iraq, a claim dented by a series of bombings in recent weeks. Maliki's main challenger, according to the initial estimates, is Allawi, whose Iraqiya list is a mostly Shiite slate that campaigned on a nationalist and non-sectarian ticket.

The other leading list is the Iraq National Alliance, dominated by two Shiite religious parties -- the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council and the movement of radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who led two uprisings against US troops.

Sunday saw Sunni Arabs vote in large numbers, in stark contrast to their 2005 boycott in protest at the rise to power of the long-oppressed Shiite majority. Overall voter turnout on Sunday was officially given at 62.4 percent. US President Barack Obama, who has promised to withdraw all American troops from Iraq by the end of next year, paid tribute to "the courage and resilience of the Iraqi people who once again defied threats to advance their democracy."

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidAN...vote%20results

CBI’s dollar sales drop to 85m on Tuesday

The Central Bank of Iraq’s (CBI) dollar sales fell to $85.010 million in its daily auction on Tuesday, compared to $183.530 million in the previous session.

“The demand hit $5.01 million in cash, covered at an exchange rate of 1,183 Iraqi dinars per dollar, and $80 million in foreign transfers outside the country, covered at an exchange rate of 1,173 Iraqi dinars per dollar,” according to a CBI news bulletin received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

None of the 11 banks that participated in today’s session offered to sell dollars.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=128272

Objections will not change election results - Politician

A State of Law Coalition runner on Tuesday said that objections concerning the parliamentary elections will not affect the results.

“There are many objections concerning the elections; some of them are valid and others are exaggerated,” Izzat al-Shabandar told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“I believe the commission will seriously look into the objections, but this will not change the results,” he indicated.

Parliamentary elections took place on Sunday (March 7) with the participation of millions of Iraqis to elect a new parliament.

A special voting that included detainees, hospital-bound patients and security personnel who are working on the election day took place in the country over the past few days.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=128261

Government to be formed sooner than expected - Politician

A State of Law Coalition runner said that he expects the next government to be formed sooner than expected, envisioning a likely alliance between his coalition and the Iraqi National Coalition.

“The next government will be formed within a normal time frame,” Izzat al-Shabandar told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Shabandar added that he also expects a dramatic change in the political map in the coming period.

http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=128254