Rice urges Iraqis to form new govt

Baghdad: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday called for an end to the "political vacuum" in Iraq and for the Iraqis to form a new government.

Speaking at a news conference with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Rice said the next Iraqi prime minister must be a "strong leader" capable of unifying the people of this fractured country.

The chief US and British diplomats are on the second day of a surprise visit to Baghdad aimed at trying to end the political stalemate that has prevented the formation of a new government.

Rice and Straw -- who flew into the Iraqi capital Sunday from northwest England -- met with Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish politicians, who have been stalled in their efforts to form a government following the December 15 parliamentary elections.

"This is a really important time for the Iraqi leadership, for the Iraqi people, for Iraq itself," Rice told CNN after Sunday's meeting. "It's an opportunity to have a national unity government that can really take on and solve tremendous challenges."

"We thought it was important to come and deliver a message that the time has come to end these negotiations and deliver a government," she said.

Rice said a permanent government would have "a bigger impact" on Iraq than many predict as it tackles problems like militias and insurgent violence.

"It's true the country has been accustomed to dealing with problems through violence, through coercion and through oppression," she said. "Now they have to do it through politics."

But once the government is in place and functioning, she said, "people will start to reassert a sense of their Iraqiness, which is one of the strengths of this country.

"They can solve these problems, but they need to start with the formation of a unity government, and soon."

On the plane to Baghdad, Straw said that when he visited Iraq five weeks ago, he was assured that a new government would be put together quickly.

"Sadly ... this coalition formation has taken much longer," he said, and cited "significant international concerns" about the delay.