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In Baghdad, "the Alliance of National and democratic
Forces" has been announced. It consists of the
Kurdistani National Party, headed by the president
Jalal Al Talabani, the Kurdistani democratic Party,
headed by Massoud Barzani, the Arab Socialist
Movement, headed by Abdel Ilah Al Naserawi, Al
Qasemi democratic gathering, the Democratic
Alliance, the National Democratic Party, and the
Communist Party, headed by Hameed Majeed Mousa, who
has confirmed that this alliance would work on
"attracting the national democratic identities in
preparation for a political coalition that would
participate in the coming elections." He said, "The
religious and national parties are now fully aware
that Iraq can only be led on behalf of seculars and
those who led Iraq since the declaration of the
republic in 1958, after the monarchy."
Meanwhile, the National Accord Movement, headed by
Iyad Allawi, is preparing for creating a bloc and
holding the National Reconciliation conference, with
the participation of democratic parties.
Abdel Jaleel Mohsen, a prominent leader in the
movement, said that it has addressed invitations to
"more than 250 national and patriotic identities for
creating a political bloc or expanding the Iraqi
bloc, which would reflect the Iraqi reality and
maintain its unity away from quotas and individual
interests." He pointed out, "The main objective of
these preparations is to accomplish reconciliation
among Iraqi classes so as to confront violence."
It appears that the Kurdish leaders that
participated in last January elections under a
national slate are working on containing Democratic
and Sectarian parties, so as to spread their
influence all over Iraq. In addition to their
announcement of the "National and democratic Forces'
Alliance yesterday, several Kurdish identities do
not rule out the creation of pure Kurdish alliances
and coalition with other forces, as it was the case
during the former elections, when the Kurdistani
Alliance slate has been created and had allied with
the Coalition later.
The prominent Kurdish politician, Mahmoud Othman,
announced that several contacts are conducted on
behalf of Kurdish forces with Shiite and Sunni
forces for the purpose of going into alliances that
would enter the coming elections. He continued, "The
issue has been discussed in the Sunni-Kurdish
meetings in Erbil, for the purpose of settling the
constitutional disputes. Nevertheless, nothing is
certain so far."
On their behalf, the Sunnis insist on entering the
coming elections as one slate, in addition to their
desire in making alliances after the elections.
Hareth Al Obeidi, member of the National Conference
for Sunnis, considered that the Sunni parties are
"incapable of making a coalition with other
political forces, especially those that participated
in the government, as the latter have led military
operations in Sunni cities. They are also incapable
of making any Sunni alliance with any other
political parties before the elections."
Within the same context, new blocs are entering the
political arena. They announce that the unity of
Iraq against division and sectarianism is the
objective and the aim. These include the Arab
Unionists Movement, the Arab Iraqis Movement, the
Iraqi Clans Gathering, the National Forces Front and
the Iraqis Gathering. The spokesman for the latter,
Farouk al Dulaimi, told Al Hayat that the religious
and national parties have controlled the political
reality in Iraq after the fall of the former regime.
This is due to the consequences of the occupation.
It has diminished the secular and democratic forces.
Nevertheless, "At the end, what is right is right".
He added, "The establishment of a secure Iraq
necessitates the construction of blocs that
guarantee harmony among "religions, races and sects
against the sectarian quotas, which has hurt the
Iraqi structure. In addition, national calls that
adopt the unity of Iraqi lands, people and
government should emerge."
Al Hayat
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