Iraqi PM refuses resignation of Sunni ministers

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq's embattled prime minister has refused to accept the resignation of six Sunni members of his cabinet, officials said Sunday, after a meeting with Iraq's senior Kurdish and Shiite leaders.

The Shiite premier, Nuri al-Maliki, met President Jalal Talabani, who is a Kurd, and Shiite Vice President Adel Abdel Mehdi, according to an audio statement released to the media.

But while all three promised to work to reintegrate angry Sunni leaders into Iraq's fragile ruling coalition, the Sunni member of the tripartite presidency, Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, was not present.

"The prime minister's position is that he has refused to accept the resignations. This is a good thing and the door is open to discuss this topic," Abdel Mehdi said in the statement recorded after the meeting.

On Wednesday, Iraq's main Sunni political bloc the National Concord Front said it was pulling its five ministers and deputy prime minister out of the coalition, dealing a blow to its claims to represent all Iraqis.

Maliki's office confirmed that he had refused to endorse the resignations, leaving open the door for a compromise deal after further high-level talks.