Iraqi electoral lists unite to create new, more powerful platform

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.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=21800