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Iraq's Shiite prime minister appeared Wednesday to reject John Kerry’s call for an emergency unity government to help tackle the Sunni insurgency that has overrun key cities. Nouri al-Maliki rejected forming a "national salvation" government, which he said would go against the results of parliamentary elections held on April 30 in which his coalition won the most seats, The Associated Press reported.

Kerry met Maliki on Iraq on Monday, calling on him to form a “broad-based inclusive government” in exchange for American help in the fight against Sunni militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). However, Maliki on Wednesday said such calls represented a "coup against the constitution and an attempt to end the democratic experience,” the BBC reported.

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- Alastair Jamieson