Five Iraqi Cabinet ministers loyal to former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi say they will boycott government meetings, in another blow to national reconciliation efforts.
Officials from the Iraqiya List said the five Cabinet ministers suspended their participation because Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had not responded to political demands issued earlier this year.
The Iraqiya List includes Sunnis, Shi'ites, and Christians.
The announcement Monday is seen as another blow to Prime Minister Maliki's efforts to reconcile Iraq's different groups.
Last week, Iraq's largest Sunni Arab bloc, the Accordance Front, pulled out of the unity government. That group also was protesting what it said was Mr. Maliki's refusal to respond to its list of demands, including a crackdown on Shi'ite militias.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
