Iraqi Lawmakers End Months of Deadlock

"It's a good step forward, and we will cooperate with him," said Mahmoud Othman, a senior Kurdish politician. "I don't think he's a strong sectarian. Now he's a prime minister, and he has to rule all Iraq, he has to be balanced and objective."

Maliki is known as an unyielding opponent of Hussein's Baath Party. He spent more than 20 years in exile, mostly in Syria, during Hussein's rule, and he led efforts to purge Baathists from military and government jobs after the U.S.-led invasion toppled Hussein in 2003. He has also called for the execution of insurgents convicted of killing Iraqis.

But he also has a reputation as a canny negotiator: He helped put together the country's constitution last year and served as a mediator between U.S. officials and Moqtada al-Sadr, a radical Shiite cleric whose Mahdi Army militia revolted against authorities in 2004.

After the parliament meeting, Maliki said he was committed to disarming Shiite militias, an issue of vital importance to Sunni Arabs, who accuse them of widespread kidnappings and killings. The subject is no less important to Shiite leaders who maintain militia fighters for muscle in political disputes.

"Arms should be in the hands of the government," Maliki said at the news conference. "The law calls for the merging of militias with the armed forces."

In Najaf, a Shiite holy city south of Baghdad, Sadr's brother-in-law responded to the remarks at a news conference in which he said that he was in favor of disbanding the militias but that Shiites needed to remain armed for their own safety.

"The government has no sovereignty or independence as long as the occupation exists in Iraq," Riyadh al-Nouri said, referring to the U.S. presence. "The Sadrists only bear weapons for self-protection. Everyone has the right to protect himself when the government is not able to provide that protection."

Iraqis seemed to greet the long-awaited naming of the new government cheerfully. A smattering of fireworks and celebratory gunfire resounded in Jadriyah, a Shiite area of the capital, and some drivers honked their horns as if they had won a soccer game.

Saturday's session was not without flaws. A broken air conditioner in the parliament's chamber brought the temperature into the 90s, leaving nearly 300 sweating politicians to fan themselves as they elected the seven officials.

Though there were no great surprises, and one candidate for each office, pages went through formalities, passing out ballots that officials later painstakingly counted as an aide drew hash marks on a white board.

Maliki, who was formally chosen by the president and his two deputies, received a round of applause after being selected. He soon emerged from the chamber with Talabani.

"I pledge to you that I shall do all I can in which the interest of Iraq and the Iraqi people comes foremost," Maliki said. "We are going to form a family."

Special correspondents Naseer Nouri and Saad al-Izzi in Baghdad and Saad Sarhan in Najaf contributed to this report.