BAGHDAD, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Malikisaid on Thursday that he would present nominees for key security portfolios temporarily vacant in his government to parliament for approval later in the day.

   Maliki, a Shiite, made the announcement at a Baghdad press conference attended by U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and top U.S. commander in Iraq General George Casey.

   The Iraqi prime minister said that the parliament would convene later in the day and vote on his nominees for interior, defense and national security portfolios.

   No further details were revealed.

   Well-informed sources said that the dominant Shiite bloc hadfinally reached an agreement on the nominees for the keyministries.

   The three posts, considered key to curbing rampant violence in Iraq, have remained vacant due to political hagglings inside the Shiite bloc and among the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.

   Maliki has been forced to delay the announcement of the names of the ministers for several times in the past.

    Despite the formation of the new Iraqi national unity government headed by Maliki on May 20, violence has persisted inthe war-torn country.  Enditem