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| Iraq |
| Iraqi electoral lists unite to create new, more powerful platform |
| 2006-01-27 |
| Three Iraqi electoral lists, consisting of 80 seats, have agreed to unite to bolster their negotiating position in the future government, liberal politician Adnan Pachachi said Friday.... ...Pachachi said that along with the secular list of former prime minister Iyad Allawi's 25 seats, the new group will include the religious Sunni National Accordance Front, with 44 seats, and the more secular Sunni National Dialogue Front of Saleh al-Mutlaq and his 11 seats. Pachachi, who ran on Allawi's list, added that a number of other smaller political parties are interested in joining, which might increase the group's size to 88 seats. While most political groups in Iraq have agreed on the need for a national unity government representing all Iraqis, there are fears that the dominant conservative Shiite United Iraqi Alliance, with 128 seats, will not feel the need for a very broad government. The Arab League was scheduled to hold a national unity conference at the end of February in Baghdad to address these divisions, but Pachachi said that it would probably not be held until a new government is formed. "A number of Iraqi figures told Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa they would prefer the conference be held after the government is formed and he assented," said Pachachi. "He added, however, that if the differences continue and the government ends not being one of national unity, it is very possible the conference will be held to resolve these problems." The electoral priorities are shaping up to be that the first government must be a unity government; and that though there are many political parties for the time being, that they should organize into a few powerful blocs. Then, the critical phase will be when these blocs evolve into having philosophical, rather than sectarian, principles. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |