BAGHDAD, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki indicated that he will not drop his bid for a third term and accused the president of violating the constitution in a tough televised speech likely to deepen political tensions as a Sunni insurgency rages.
Maliki, seen as an authoritarian and sectarian leader, has defied calls by Sunnis, Kurds, some fellow Shi'ites and regional power broker Iran to step aside for a less polarising figure who can unite Iraqis against Islamic State militants. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Sandra Maler; writing by Michael Georgy)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.