Iraqi minister resigns in dispute with premier

BAGHDAD – Iraq's communication minister has resigned to protest interference by the premier in the work of his ministry, another sign of disarray in the country's leadership.

The minister, Mohammed Allawi, said he sent a letter to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last month, demanding that he stop meddling in his ministry, reinstate some officials he ordered transferred or accept his resignation.

Al-Maliki's reply was to accept his resignation instead of meeting the demands, Allawi told The Associated Press in a phone interview from London on Monday.

Allawi is a member in the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc. Al-Maliki, a Shiite, put together a broad-based coalition after neither major bloc won a majority in elections. Since then his opponents have been accusing him of hoarding power and sidelining his partners.