Some 172 MPs have voted to withdraw confidence from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said chief of staff of Kurdistan presidential office, Kurdish Erbil newspaper published today.

There are actually 172 signatures and two are yet to be made, Fuad Hussein said.

This number does not include the signatures of Gorran Movement (a Kurdish opposition group with eight seats) and a Christian party, Hussein said without naming the party.

The official said that this number of MPs has signed to replace Maliki "but if inside the House of Representatives they change their mind, this is something else."

As for the prospect of a meeting between Maliki and Kurdistan's President Massoud Barzani, Hussein said that through many personalities Iraqi PM sends messages to Barzani that he will enforce his promises and asks for meeting with Barzani.

"But I don't think that there will be a meeting between Kurdistan's president and Maliki," Hussein said.

Barzani, Iraqiya List Leader Ayad Allawi and Sadr Current Leader Muqtada Sadr have described Maliki as a "dictator" and demand the National Alliance (NA) replace him.

Reports are that the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani rejected an official demand to withdraw confidence from Maliki by virtue of the signatures collected.

A letter by Talabani said that only 145 MPs (less than the legal number; 164) retained their signatures and others withdrew them when a committee tried to verify the number and the names.

Now the Kurdistan Blocs Coalition (KBC), the Sadr Current and Iraqiya MPs are trying to set an interrogation session for Maliki over charges of constitutional violations. They hope to be able to withdraw confidence from Maliki in this session.