Baghdad, May 20 (Reuters): Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed to rein in violence and heal Iraq’s sectarian wounds after parliament approved his national unity government today to end months of stalemate.

Hours after bombs killed 24 people to underline the scale of his task, Maliki said restoring stability was the top priority of a coalition whose formation gave Iraq its first fully sovereign government since US troops overthrew Saddam Hussein.

Two days short of a constitutional deadline, a deal was struck late yesterday that was backed by most sectarian and ethnic groups and which allowed a few more days of talking to name ministers to the key ministries. “We will work within a framework that will preserve the unity of the Iraqi people,” Maliki said.