Web JafariyaNews

Al-Hakim asks Arab, Muslim govts to slam Iraq violence

By: Hamoud Kufi

BAGHDAD, Iraq: Sayyed Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, who heads the ticket expected to have won the largest number of parliamentary seats in Iraq's historic election, indicated Wednesday that his group wants the post of prime minister in the new government.

In an interview with the Associated Press in his office in Baghdad Wednesday, Al-Hakim, the son of top religious authority of Shiia world late Grand Ayatullah Sayyed Mohsen Al-Hakim, also said that the new government will include Sunni Arabs, and that representatives of all Iraqi groups should participate in writing the new constitution.

He said his United Iraqi Alliance had "a group of suitable candidates" for the post of prime minister, suggesting that his faction would not be interested in supporting a compromise candidate from outside their ranks.

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi had been rumored as a possible compromise choice.

No returns from Sunday's vote have been announced by the election commission, which is counting the ballots. However, it is widely believed that the United Iraqi Alliance won the largest share of the 275 seats among the 111 tickets.

More than 50 of 111 tickets were Sunnis.

Al-Hakim also called on Arab and Muslim governments to condemn violence that has claimed thousands of lives since the collapse of Saddam's regime in April 2003.

He said the Iraqi people were still suffering from the past "silence" of Arab and Muslim states toward Saddam's rule.

END