Iraq Minister Quits over PM's 'Interference'

Iraqi Communications Minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi told Agence France Presse on Monday he quit his post, accusing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of doing nothing to stop "political interference" in his ministry.

"I resigned because Maliki refused to... (Stop) political interference in my ministry," Allawi said by telephone from London, referring to demands he made in late July for an end to meddling in his ministry.

Allawi's decision to step down marks the first ministerial resignation since Iraq's national unity government was formed in late 2010. Last year, electricity minister Raad Shallal al-Ani was fired for signing off on $1.7 billion in allegedly improper contracts.

Allawi is a member of the mostly Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc that attempted earlier this year to withdraw confidence from Maliki's government.

"I required certain conditions from the prime minister, to stop the political interference in my ministry," Allawi told AFP. "Otherwise, I told him I am not ready to work at the ministry with this big interference."

"I told him, either you fulfill those conditions or accept my resignation. He decided after one month to accept my resignation."

Allawi said he made the demands to Maliki on July 28.