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New Coalitions Emerge for Parliamentary Elections in Iraq
By Scott Bobb
Baghdad
31 October 2005
Voice of America
The campaign has begun for December's parliamentary elections
in Iraq. More than 200 political parties have registered,
but the contest is expected to be dominated by five major alliances,
including several
As Iraqis prepare to go to the polls on December 15 for the
third time in less than one year, two major alliances that dominated
the transitional government remain largely intact.
The largest of these, the United Coalition, groups a dozen
parties of the Shi'ite Arab majority, and won more than half
the seats in the transitional parliament.
The Kurdish Alliance, two major parties that won a fourth
of the seats, is also fielding a solid list of candidates.
But these two groups face competition from two new alliances,
the Concord Front and the United Front, which are formed mostly
by Sunni Arabs. The Sunnis boycotted the January elections,
and as a result, played a minor role in drafting the new constitution.
Spokesman of the Sunni-led National Dialogue Council, Saleh
al-Mutlaq
The head of the United Front, Saleh al-Mutlaq, says Sunnis
oppose the new charter, and want to participate in government
in order to change it. "The intention is to work with
the system, no matter what the results will be, but its going
to be hard for us," he noted. It will be hard, he
says, because the Shi'ite and Kurdish blocs support regional
autonomy.
These coalitions, representing the three major sectarian groups,
will be challenged by another new alliance aimed at voters who
are worried about the rising religious and ethnic divisions in
Iraqi politics.
Ayad Allawi, the first prime minister following the fall of
Saddam Hussein, Saturday unveiled the Iraqi List coalition. Mr.
Ayad said there is a risk that growing ethnic polarization could
cause sectarian conflict and divide the country.
One of the leaders of this coalition, former Foreign Minister
Adnan Pachachi, said most Iraqis do not care for parties based
on religion.
Adnan Pachachi
"Most Iraqis have democratic, liberal tendencies,"
said Mr. Pachachi. "And, people do not like, in general,
these sectarian divisions as a basis for political activity."
The Iraqi list includes Shiites, Sunnis, Arab nationalists
and communists. But Mr. Pachachi says they all agree on several
basic principles.
"We would all like to have a secular democracy,"
he added. "We would all like to have a system of government
that really separates religion from the state."
Many observers say election of the new parliament, which will
sit for four years, will mark the end of the transition to democracy
in Iraq.
Others say the elections will mark the end of a period of
stagnation and delay.
The leader of the Assyrian Party representing the small Christian
minority, Yonadam Kanna, says this is because Sunnis are finally
joining the political process.
Yonadam Kanna
"This is the beginning of the transitional period,"
he explained. "We lost more than two-and-a-half years,
but still it is not too late. We have to think about the
positive side, and go forward together as Iraqis, regardless
of ethnicity and religion."
Analysts also say that there have been some defections from
the two leading coalitions, due to internal disagreements and
to unhappiness over the government's inability to improve security
and the economy.
As a result, they say, there are likely to be new faces when
the parliament convenes early next year.
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MP3 Gala 'd Garna - Anna Athuraya by Shemon
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Who are
the Christians of Iraq?
October =
Tishrin I
New Coalitions Emerge for Parliamentary
Elections in Iraq 10, 31, 05
An
Assyrian Engineer Killed by the Kurds in Kirkuk 10, 30, 05
Kurds
Reclaiming Prized Territory In Northern Iraq 10, 30, 05
Dwyer:
Most Iraqis want a constitution - and want U.S. troops to leave 10, 30, 05
The
oldest lense
10, 28,
05
Westminster
Hall debate on Iraqi Kurdistan i.e. northern Iraq 10, 25, 05
Iraq constitution
approved 10, 25, 05
Assyrian
and Babylonian medicine was surprisingly advanced 10, 24, 05
What's
in a Name? 10,
12, 05
Draft
constitution denies equal rights, say Iraq's Christians 10, 22, 05
Rejection
of Iraqi Referendum Possible as Nineveh Vote Fraud Reviewed 10, 21, 05
Rosie
Malek-Yonan's Schedule of The Crimson Field Book Tour 10, 20, 05
TURKEY
DECRIES the Assyro-Chaldean MONUMENT IN FRANCE 10, 20, 05
Vote Figures for Crucial Ninveh Province Don't Add Up 10, 19, 05
Iraq Constitution: Bad news for Christians 10, 19. 05
Assyrian students
unite 10, 19, 05
Iraq bishops ready
to seek help from Pope 10, 19, 05
Charter vote resonates
with Valley Iraqis Likely passage gives many hope 10. 18.
05
Dividing
the Chaldeans from the Assyrians by the Iraqi Constitution 10, 18, 05
A monument in
France dedicated to the Remembrance of Assyro-Chaldean massacres
by the Ottoman Turks. 10, 17, 05
Swing state' of
Nineveh may be moving in favour of constitution 10, 15,
05
Iraq
votes for the Constitution and for its future 10, 14, 05
Forgotten
victims - Iraqi Christians who speak the language of Jesus 10, 14, 05
Mgr
Sako: people in Kirkuk have not read the constitution but will
vote 10,13,
05
Terrorism
strikes all Iraqis, says Patriarch 10, 13, 05
Assyriska a national
football team without a country 10, 12, 05
Referendum:
'Yes' in Kurdistan and Southern cities and 'No' in Kirkuk, al
Anbar and Diala 10, 12, 05
Chaos
depriving Towns from Voting - The Minorities Fear the Domination
of Islamic Parties10, 12, 05
Bas-reliefs
of winged goddesses discovered in western Iran 10, 12, 05
Immigration
of Iraqi Chaldeans Abroad Passes through Jordan 10, 12, 05
Baghdadis
tell their stories 10,
12, 05
Assyrialogist
Henry Saggs Dies at 84 10,
10, 05
Letter by Ms. Jacqueline
Zomaya The Assyrian representative to the Iraqi National Assembly 10, 10, 05
The
Kurds are "cleansing" their domain and provoking
a civil war in Iraq 10, 09, 05
Nestorian
label "imposed unjustly upon the Assyrians" 10, 08, 05
Iran's Assyrian MP-Felicitation
to the Supreme Leader 10, 8, 05
Syriac Manuscripts
from the Vatican Library: Volume 1 10, 08, 05
Sunnis
Threaten Referendum Boycott if Rules Not Changed 10, 05, 05
Helping
the Iraqi refugees in Jordan 10, 04, 05
Final Draft of
Iraqi Constitution 10, 03, 05
Two
More Assyrian Children Orphaned 10, 02, 05
Discoveries of the
Assyrian antiquities in Syria 10, 01, 05
Sectarian Strife
tears apart Baghdad's Neighborhoods 10, 01,
05
September
= Eilool
POLITICS-IRAQ:
Kurd's Voting Shenanigans Cloud Key Province 9, 28,
05
Church
in Iraq Helps Rebuild New Orleans Parish; U.S. Relief Agency
Bridges Partnership 9, 28, 05
The Armenian Genocide
And The Assyrian Factor 9, 28, 05
Interview with the
Writer and the Historian Rosie Malek-Younan 9, 28, 05
Assyrian Cultural
Festival in Ceres CA. 9, 27, 05
Swedish
Radio's Decision to End Turkish Language Broadcasts 9, 27, 05
Assyrian
Refugees Face Harsh Discrimination in Greece 9, 26, 05
A cry
of help by the Assyrians 9, 26, 05
samples of songs
by various Eastern and Western Assyiran singers. 9, 24, 05
USAID:
Iraq Reconstruction and Humanitarian Relief 9, 24, 05
4 Assyrians Killed in
Assassination Attempt on Former Iraq Assyrian Minister 9, 23, 05
Seminar in Stokholm
About Seyfo ( world war one massacres) 9, 22, 05
Iraq
chaos threatens ancient faith 9, 22, 05
The
Crimson Field Previews 9, 17, 05
Treatment of Horses"
by the Assyrian scientist of the 13th century Faraj 9, 21,
05
A New Satellite
T.V. Program From San Jose 9, 20, 05
English translation
of the ancient Mesopotamian tablets 9, 20, 05
First
Nestorian [Church of the East] search engine goes online 9, 19, 05
Download Assyrian
songs.by ReeMon 9,
18, 05
Letter
from the 'Save the Assyrian Campaign'. 9,
16, 05
Growing
Opposition to Dividing the Assyrians 9,
16, 05
Books by
Assyrian writers 9, 15, 05
English
cardinal warns of Iraqi constitution 9, 14, 05
Brutality
Against Christians in Iraq Continues 9,
13, 05
John
Kanno for Congress 9, 12, 05
Reply
to Culomnist Ken Rudin 9, 12, 05
Assyrians:
Wine-producing season starts in Midyat 9, 11, 05
Iraqi
Christians cautious about new constitution 9,
11, 05
Assyrian
Human Rights Documentation Project Launched in Canada 9, 6, 05
Fire
Consumes Over 500 Assyrian Shops in Baghdad Suburb 9, 6, 05
Education
in Armenia for Assyrians and other Minorities 9, 6, 05
Capital of Musasir
gov't in northwest Iran Discovered 9, 5, 05
The Assyrian Democratic
Organization Rejects Iraq's Constitution 9, 4, 05
The Ordeal
of the Christians in Arab countries 9, 3, 05
August = Tubbakh
"Arab Christians"?
Not in My View 8, 31, 05
Emotional
Funeral for Assyrian Murdered By Kurds in Iraq 8, 31, 05
Risking it all for
a song 8, 31, 05
Iraq's
draft constitution and the ChaldoAssyrians 8,
30, 05
Kurdish
Reprisal Attacks Against Assyrian Christians in Iraq 8,
27, 05
For
Basra's Christians, Hussein era the good old days 8, 28, 05
Assyrian Restuarant
in Chicago Reminds Iraqis of Home 8, 28. 05
Assyrians
in Northern Iraq terrorized by the Kurdish Mlitia 8, 27, 05
Iraq's
Proposed constitution could lead to fragmented state. 8, 27, 05
Conflicts between
Kurds and the Shabak 8, 26, 05
New Iraq constitution
may throw women's rights into Stone Age 8, 26,
05
Assyrians
of Telesqof demonstrate against being divided in the Constitution 8, 25. 05
Assyrian
Demonstrators Voice their Concern about the New Iraqi Constitution 8, 24, 05
A letter
from the Rep.of Shabak in the National Assermbly 8, 24, 05
New Iraq
constitution must protect Christians 8,
22, 05
The text of
the latest Proposed Iraq Constitution 8, 22, 05
Outside
View: Who lost Iraq? 8, 22, 05
Iraq's
Religious Minorities Concerned About Islamic Constitution 8, 22, 05
Iraq TV's
'Cops' breaks new ground 8, 21, 05
Young
Catholics Gather in Baghdad 8, 20 05
Iraqis
Squeezed Out By Kurdish Expansion, Muslim-Centric Constitution 8, 20, 05
A Memoradum
from the Christians of Iraq to the Drafters of the Constitution. 8, 20, 05
Shafting
Nineveh: The Fate of Iraqi Christians 8,
20, 05
Plea
for Assyrian Christians and Iraqi minorities 8, 18, 05
Undemocratic aspects
of the new Iraqi constitution draft 8, 17, 05
Iraqis vent rage on
call-in TV after bombs kill 43 8, 17, 05
Iraq's
Non-Muslims' Constitution Fears
8, 17, 05
Kurdish
Gunmen Open Fire on Demonstrators in North Iraq 8, 16, 05
Their suffering
continues 8, 14, 05
IRAQ:
Focus on constitutional concerns 8, 14, 05
Photos form homeland 8, 14, 05
Despite
Turmoil, Christians Place Faith in New Iraq 8, 13, 05
Iraqi-American Translators:
The Untold Story 8, 12, 05
Life
in Ankawa 8, 12, 05
Why
Torah's Hebrew script was Changed to the square Assyrian script 8, 11, 05
Assyrian
Restaurant in Chicago 8, 10, 05
Speech
at the Commonwealth Club of California By Fred Aprim 8, 10, 05
KURDS TAKE A HARD-LINE
STANCE ON IRAQI CONSTITUTION 8, 10, 05
72nd
Assyrian American National Convention 8,
09, 05
Unresolved
Iraqi Constitutional Points 8, 09, 05
Information wanted
for Upcoming Documentary about Iraqi women
8, 09, 05
Assyrian
Objection to the Nationality Law 8, 06, 05
Iraqi
Christians Remember Church Bombings One Year Later 8, 05 05
Looted history 8,
05, 05
Book
Release: Rosie Malek-Yonan's "The Crimson Field" 8, 05, 05
Iraq
Must Avoid a Rollback of Rights 8, 04, 05
Nina Shea: Rule of law, rule of Islam
8, 4, 05
Iraqis in U.S.
Won't Vote on Constitution 8, 03, 05
Bush's
Global War on Christians 8,
01, 05
An Open Letter to
Patriarch Mar Ignatius Zakka I 8, 01, 05
Democracy
could struggle in Islamic Iraq 7,
30, 05
Assyrian Granny
Shimmes's Contribution to Rendezvous of Civilizations 7, 29,
05
House
amends funding bill to help Iraqi Christians 7, 29, 05
Iraq
draft constitution fails to protect religious, human rights,
USCIRF says 7, 29, 05
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