The deal struck this week ended an eight-month impasse that had stalled the formation of a new government and threatened to re-ignite sectarian violence. But the agreement appeared on the brink of collapse almost immediately after it was announced because of the deep-rooted distrust that pervades Iraq's sectarian politics.

The  Iraqiya bloc had threatened to boycott the Saturday session to approve the deal after storming out of parliament on Thursday and raising fears the group would abstain from government altogether. Iraqiya lawmakers said they had been betrayed by al-Maliki's  coalition, who they fear is trying to deprive them of a significant role in the next government.

Leaders of the major parties met early Saturday to try to iron out their differences and salvage the deal. When parliament convened later in the day, Iraqiya was present and took part in the parliament vote to approve the power-sharing agreement.

"There was a misunderstanding in the last session," Iraqiya spokesman Haider al-Mulla told lawmakers. "We here stress that we will be an active part in producing a national unity government."

There was no immediate tally of how many members attended or voted for the deal, which was described as a general outline for the new government but with few specifics. Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman said it passed by a large margin.

Under the agreement, al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, keep their current posts. Iraqiya, meanwhile, gets the parliament speaker's post as well as the top spot on a council intended to serve as a check on al-Maliki's powers. That job is supposed to go to Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi.