BAGHDAD — Even as Iraqis continue to take to the streets to protest unemployment and poor services, and although the judiciary-appointed commission has yet to announce the official results of the ballot recount for the recent parliamentary elections, the winning blocs are nevertheless proceeding with consultations to form the next government.

After alliances among Shiite blocs were made public — and for the first time following the May 12 general elections — there were visits to Erbil to discuss the government formation. A Fatah Alliance delegation led by Hadi al-Amiri arrived July 6 in Erbil, and a delegation of the State of Law Coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki held talks he deemed “successful” with the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) leaders July 7, also in Erbil.

The KDP, which is led by Massoud Barzani, voiced during the encounters conditions for an alliance with the largest “Shiite bloc” tasked with forming a government.

KDP member Khosro Kuran said, “In order for the KDP to ally with a particular straightforward and known bloc, the latter needs to commit to the [Iraqi] Constitution, particularly when it comes to Kirkuk and the rest of the disputed areas. It is also required to have a government program to successfully bring about the things that the former governments failed to do with regards to this subject.”