Iraqi political blocks complete alliances before elections

The main coalitions among the Iraqi political entities were completed to form the almost final map for the legislative elections due to be held on November 15.

The elections' commission announced that 21 coalition and 130 parties and political entities registered their names to take part in the elections which will result in a parliament of a 4-year term of office.

Among the main features of the party coalition were the announcement made by the Higher Council For Islamic Revolution in Iraq, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, on his election list under the name of the United Iraqi Coalition to include 17 political entities, including the al-Sader trend and al-Dawa ( call) party in addition to several effective figures.

Observers noted that the coalition lost several blocs that rallied under it in the previous elections such as the Iraqi National Congress led by Ahmad Shalabi who, for his turn announced an independent list which he called the National Congress For The Sake Of Iraq, including also the royal party led by al-Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein and small parties and two ministers in the current government.

On the other hand, the former Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi disclosed his election list which includes secular parties and figures including the vice President Ghazi Elyawer, the speaker of the parliament Hajem al-Hosni, the leader of the Iraqi communist party Hamid Majid Mousa, member of the former ruling council Adnan al-Baja Jee under the name of the National Iraqi List, launching his election campaign.

On the Sunni framework and despite the absence of the Muslim Scholars Commission from competition, because of its boycott of the elections, the Sunni coalition formed a list including the name of the Iraqi Consensus Front and includes the Iraqi Islamic Party, the National Dialogue Council and the Iraq's People Congress.

At the Kurdish level. The " Kurdistani Coalition" list which includes the two main Kurdish parties in north Iraq: the Kurdistani Democratic Party led by Masoud Barazani and the Kurdistani National Union led by Jalal al-Talibani and other parties remained standstill, despite the fact that the Kurdistani Islamic Union launched its elections bid alone.