- Title: IRAQ: IRAQ SHI'ITE BLOC PREDICTS POLL WIN
- Date: 1st February 2005
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (FEBRUARY 1, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV IRAQI SHIITE LEADER, ABDUL AZIZ AL-HAKIM, LEADER OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN IRAQ (SCIRI) TALKING TO JOURNALIST 0.05 2. MCU (Arabic), IRAQI SHIITE LEADER, ABDUL AZIZ AL-HAKIM, LEADER OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IN IRAQ (SCIRI) SAYING: "The United Iraqi Alliance scored a sweeping victory. We know that the majority of those who voted cast their vote for the alliance" 0.35 3. CU AL- HAKIM'S FACE AS HE TALKS TO THE JOURNALIST 0.38 4. MCU (Arabic), AL- HAKIM SAYING: "I'm not officially representing the Iraqi Electoral Commission but I'm talking to the different parties in order to allow for a political process to move in this direction. They congratulated us for our victory-- the victory of the United Iraqi Alliance which consists of Iraqis from different sects, including Sunnis and Shiites." 1.14 5. CU IRAQI AND SCIRI FLAGS 1.19 6. MCU (Arabic), AL- HAKIM SAYING: "Our first principle is to form an alliance with everyone. We insist on continuing with the former alliance as we had in the past. We don't want anyone to be marginalized. We are against having a monopoly over the authority. Another principle is to create a coalition government and allow for full participation (from other groups) in the writing of the constitution. We also need to have consensus in order to allow all Iraqis, without any discrimination, even the small majorities, to feel that they are protected and that they live in Iraq peacefully." 2.31 7. SV AL- HAKIM TALKING TO JOURNALIST 2.37 8. MCU (Arabic) AL- HAKIM: "Our coalition with the Kurds is an old one, everybody knows that. And this coalition will continue with all Kurds and Sunnis and other powers. We still did not discuss this. We need to work and cooperate with them. We respects all parties and we need to work with them, even those who had boycotted the elections. We want to work with them. We want their involvement in the creation of the constitution." 3.27 9. SV AL- HAKIM TALKING TO THE JOURNALIST 3.34 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th February 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVAEAN5BAZ9IM2TW3TYKOJX0HZNT
- Story Text: Iraq Shi'ite bloc predicts poll win, promises dialogue.
resending with corrected translations
The head of a Shi'ite alliance expected to dominate Iraqi politics following the country's polls said on Tuesday his bloc
had won an overwhelming election victory but promised to seek
consensus with other groups.
"The United Iraqi Alliance scored a sweeping victory. We know that
the majority of those who voted cast their vote for the alliance," Abdul Aziz al-Hakim said.
Hakim was the first name of a list of candidates drawn up with the
tacit approval of Iraq's most revered Shi'ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani. Iraq's 60 percent Shi'ite majority voted in large numbers in Sunday's polls but many Sunni Arabs, who dominated Iraq under Saddam, stayed away.
Hakim said Iraq's next government may discuss whether to tell foreign
troops to leave. Washington has said it will pull out its forces if the
government asks. But many mainstream Iraqi politicians say it is far too soon to talk about withdrawal.
Hakim inisted that the Shi'ite alliance would work to build consensus
and ensure all Iraq's ethnic and political groups were included in the
political process.
"I'm not officially representing the Iraqi Electoral Commission
but I'm talking to the different parties in order to allow for a political process to move in this direction. They congratulated us for our victory-- the victory of the United Iraqi Alliance which
consists of Iraqis from different sects, including Sunnis and
Shiites," he said.
"We don't want anyone to be marginalised. We want everyone to take
part in the writing of the constitution. We will defend the rights of all minorities and of all groups no matter how small they are" he said.
Hakim confirmed that the United Iraqi Alliance was discussing a
coalition with the main Kurdish bloc, expected to come second in the polls. Such a coalition could well be in a position to dominate the National Assembly the polls elect.
"Our coalition with the Kurds is an old one, everybody knows that.
And this coalition will continue with all Kurds and Sunnis and other powers.
We still did not discuss this. We need to work and cooperate with them. We respects all parties and we need to work with them, even those who had boycotted the elections. We want to work with them. We want their involvement in the creation of the constitution," Hakim said.
The elections will determine the composition of a 275-member National
Assembly which will then have to agree by a majority of at least two thirds on a president and two vice presidents. They will then pick a prime minister and a cabinet.
The Assembly will also oversee the drafting of a permanent constitution. Sunni Arab participation is essential because Sunnis could potentially have the power veto the constitution when a referendum is held to approve it.
Hakim said it was too soon to speculate who the next prime minister
would be. Current Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a secular Shi'ite, is seen as a leading candidate, along with Finance Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, a member of Hakim's party.
Hakim criticised the failure of many Muslim clerics in the Middle East
to denounce al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who declared the polls were an American and Shi'ite conspiracy and sent suicide bombers to attack polling stations.
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