(AP)
Updated: 2007-08-02 21:32

Al-Maliki's Islamic Dawa Party called Thursday on the Accordance Front to "reconsider its decision."

"The party expresses its concern and regret about this setback for Iraqi politics, an action taken before exploring any dialogue," a party statement said.

"We need to stand side by side as a national unity government and set aside all differences and cooperate in order to answer the challenges our people are suffering," it said.

An Accordance Front lawmaker, reacting to the Dawa statement, said Thursday that the bloc would reconsider its withdrawal only if promised "the priority of real partnership."

"If we were assured by tangible and concrete promises of real change ... and the priority of real partnership, we would reconsider our stance," Salim Abdullah, a Sunni parliament member, told The Associated Press. But he added that he was not optimistic such assurances would come from al-Maliki.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was scheduled to preside over a meeting later Thursday to try to jumpstart talks between the Accordance Front and the government, his office said.

Washington has been pushing al-Maliki's government to pass key laws - among them, measures to share national oil revenues and incorporate some ousted Baathists into mainstream politics. But the Sunni ministers' resignation from the Cabinet - not the parliament - foreshadowed even greater difficulty in building consensus when lawmakers return after a monthlong summer recess.

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