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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday warned Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki not to cause trouble as Washington threw its weight behind President Fuad Masum, Agence France-Presse reported.

"We stand absolutely squarely behind President Masum (who) has the responsibility for upholding the constitution of Iraq," he said in Sydney.

"Our hope is that Mr. Maliki will not stir those waters," Kerry said.

Kerry also said that the formation of an Iraqi government was critical for stability.

“The government formation process is critical in terms of sustaining stability and calm in Iraq, and our hope is that Mr Maliki will not stir those waters,” Kerry told reporters in Sydney ahead of an annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN).

“One thing all Iraqis need to know, that there will be little international support of any kind whatsoever for anything that deviates from the legitimate constitution process that is in place and being worked on now.”

New government request

Meanwhile, a member of Shi’ite Maliki’s State of Law parliamentary bloc said that Iraq’s president must ask Maliki to form a new government or risk violating the constitution, according to Reuters news agency.

The comments came shortly after a senior Iraqi official said that the decision by Iraq’s highest court that could pave the way for Maliki to serve a third term is “very problematic.”

“This will make the situation very, very complex,” the official who asked not to be named due to sectarian sensitivities in Iraq, said.

U.S. support for Masum

Kerry's comments came following the U.S. announcement that it was supporting Iraqi President Fuad Masum after Maliki announced on state television he would be filing a complaint against Masum, Agence France Presse reported.

“The United States fully supports President Fuad Masum in his role as guarantor of the Iraqi Constitution,” Marie Harf, the State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement, echoing an earlier comment made on Twitter by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Brett McGurk.

“We reaffirm our support for a process to a prime minister who can represent the aspirations of the Iraqi people by building a national consensus and governing in an inclusive manner,” Harf said.

On Sunday, Maliki, who has been under pressure to give up his bid for a third term, announced his intentions to file a complaint in a surprise address at midnight (2100 GMT Sunday).

He alleged newly elected Masum had violated the constitution twice, including by failing to task a prime minister-designate with forming a new government.

Many Iraqis see Maliki as partly responsible for the recent conflict in northern Iraq, for having institutionalized sectarianism.