Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- After eight months of bickering and political paralysis, Iraqi leaders were thought to have finally reached a power-sharing agreement Thursday for a new government, but that deal appeared to fall apart late in the day as members of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya List walked out of the parliamentary session. Jalal Talabani, sworn in late Thursday for a second term as president, delegated Shiite Prime Minister Nuril al-Maliki to form a government within 30 days, as mandated by the constitution. Thursday's session then adjourned until Saturday. Quarreling that has typified Iraq's gridlock re-emerged during the parliamentary session, from which most members of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc walked out saying that the other political blocs were not adhering to their promise to vote on the tentative power-sharing agreement, which had been reached late Wednesday.
@highlight
Eight months of bickering and paralysis had appeared to end in a power-sharing agreement
@highlight
But that agreement appeared to fall apart late Thursday when the Sunni-backed bloc walked out
@highlight
"It is like assembling a car with different parts and hoping it will work," a legislator says
Another senior administration official who asked not to be identified told reporters, "This really is an Iraqi victory because this was an @placeholder decision that was made by Iraqis in Iraq."
His bloc, regarded as secular and cross-sectarian, has won a great deal of support from @placeholder and he has consistently opposed al-Maliki for another term as prime minister.