Bush holds telephone talks with Allawi over preparations for the elections

US President George W. Bush yesterday made a telephone call with the Iraqi prime minister over preparations for the elections and the importance of the participation of all Iraqis in this political duty.

With the approaching date of the elections, political entities continued their campaigning promotion. In this context the united Iraqi coalition organized a mass rally in Basra city to the south of Iraq attended by Ammar al-Hakim, the son of the leader of the Higher Council For The Islamic Revolution, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who which is considered one of the main parties in the coalition.

In a speech during the gathering, al-Hakim said the elections should be held in due time, noting the great turnout on this gathering constitutes a tangible evidence on clinging to such a date and rejection to postponing it.