Shiites end talks with al-Sistani group

"We don't want to be an extension of Iran inside Iraq," said Hussein al-Mousawi, spokesman for the Shiite Political Council. "We found out that the top 10 names in the list are extremist Shiite Islamists who believe in the rule of religious clerics."

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has assigned a committee of six of his aides to try to put together a unified Shiite ticket for the Jan 30 national election, during which Iraqis will select a 275-member assembly.

Under Iraq's election laws, there will be no electoral districts; instead, voters nationwide will cast ballots for the same candidates. A party will gain seats based on the percentage of votes it receives, meaning the top positions on the list are the most assured of victory.

Al-Mousawi said the committee putting together the list allocated only 10 names from his coalition for the 275 spots on the ticket.

The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq — known for its ties with Iran — was given 33 places on the ticket and the Islamic Dawa party got 27. Those two groups also won places on the ticket for independents who share their views, al-Mousawi said.

He also said followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been promised at least 27 places and were negotiating for more.

The rest of the slots are supposed to go to independents, he said.

"We will appeal to al-Sistani because we believe that the ayatollah is looking for an assembly that represents all Iraqis and is not dominated by extremists," he added.

The Shiite Political Council is a coalition of 38 political parties including the Iraqi National Congress of Ahmad Chalabi, the former Pentagon-backed exile, Hezbollah, the Islamic Democratic party and the Free Republicans.

Shiites form about 60% of Iraq's nearly 26-million strong population and it is widely assumed they will dominate the new government. (Wire reports)

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