Shi’ite list drawn up for polls

A CLERIC with links to Iran leads the candidate list of Iraq’s mainstream Shi’ite Muslim groups for next month’s election.

The list also includes former Pentagon favourite Ahmad Chalabi and followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim - the head of Iraq’s largest Shi’ite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution - would stand to take a central position in the assembly that will create Iraq’s next government and constitution, if the coalition wins the January 30 vote.

Backed by Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the United Iraqi Alliance hopes to draw the bulk of the vote from Iraq’s Shi’ite majority. US-backed interim PM Ayad Allawihas not joined the group and is drawing up his own coalition.