The political opponents of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s meeting concluded Sunday in Pirmam resort in Erbil and released a statement, reading that they will bolster efforts to oust al-Maliki.
Al-Maliki, a Shiite, faces a growing challenge from Sunni and Kurdish parties as well as other Shiites within his unity government who accuse him of monopolizing power.

The Prime Minister announced today the failure of his opponents’ attempts to muster enough support from MPs to bring him down in a vote of no confidence.

According to the released statement, the recent changes and developments concerning withdrawing confidence from al-Maliki were spotlighted.

It reads that the opponents will continue to push al-Maliki to step down via constitutional mechanisms. They are also concerned of the Premiers’ steps to monopolize power and sideline the others.

The statement insists on the creditability of the MPs’ signatures that exceeded the legal extreme to remove al-Maliki.

The Prime Minister’s opponents include four prominent leaders: Massoud Barzani Kurdistan President, Ayad Allawi al-Iraqiya list chairman, cleric Muqtada Sadr and Osama Nujaifi Iraqi parliament speaker.

The leaders have previously held a series of meetings in the Iraqi provinces.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, faces a growing challenge from Sunni and Kurdish parties as well as other Shiites within his unity government who accuse him of monopolizing power.