BAGHDAD, April 15: A car bomb killed at least seven people and injured 24 on Saturday in a commercial district as politicians floated a proposal to end the standoff over a new government by having Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari step down but only if his replacement comes from his own party.

The blast occurred at lunchtime outside a restaurant frequented by police, four of whom were among the injured, Sgt. Sabah Mohsen said. All the dead were civilians, police said. The explosion shattered windows and damaged shops in a wide area.

Firefighters hosed down the debris-littered avenue as bystanders peered at vehicles — charred and windowless — that were damaged in the blast.

The violence has added urgency to the task of forming a government of national unity four months after elections. But the negotiations have stalled over the refusal of Sunni and Kurdish parties to accept al-Jaafari to head the new government.—AP