Iraq's parliament abruptly adjourned on Thursday after several Shi'ite lawmakers tried to force debate on the divisive issue of federalism, which Sunnis fear could lead to the breakup of the oil-rich country.
Saleh al-Mutlaq of the Sunni National Dialogue Front said afterwards that parliamentary security guards had been summoned into the debating chamber amid fears that lawmakers' heated exchanges could turn violent.
Mutlaq said the state broadcaster Iraqiya had been "kicked out of the session at a time when it was supposed to continue its live coverage so the Iraqi people could see how their leaders are disagreeing inside parliament".
"I don't have a problem with Iraq being a federal country, but when we discuss this issue in such a charged atmosphere we will be giving a negative impression to the public," Mehdi al- Hafidh, a member of the secular Iraqi List.
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=13182