Iraqi Shi'ites Postpone Decision on Prime Minister

Iraq's Shi'ite politicians have postponed until Sunday a decision to select a new prime minister.

The United Iraqi Alliance met on Saturday to choose between two contenders - current Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi. But Shi'ite sources say followers of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr wanted more time to discuss the candidates.

The Shi'ite alliance won the largest number of parliament seats in the December 15th election.

Separately, police say a former top member of Turkey's largest Kurdish rebel group was killed today when his car exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah. A police official said a technical fault apparently caused the blast.

The victim,Kani Yilmaz once belonged to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, also known as the PKK. But he broke away to join the Patriotic Democratic Party of Kurdistan a party that rejects violence.