WHAT WILL PARLIAMENT DO? The Council of Representatives is a unicameral legislature of 275 members. They must elect by a two-thirds majority a speaker and nominate a three-man presidency council, consisting of Iraq’s president and two vice presidents. Due to deadlock over a grand coalition, this did not happen on Thursday.
The council must in turn nominate a candidate for prime minister within two weeks who can then be approved by parliament by a simple majority. If the presidency council fails to agree on a prime minister within the specified time limit, then parliament must elect a candidate by a two-thirds majority.
WHO SITS IN PARLIAMENT?
UNITED IRAQI ALLIANCE - 128 seats
Formed with the blessing of Iraq’s top Shia leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani to fight the first post-Saddam Hussein polls last year, the United Alliance is by far the largest bloc. It comprises 18 Shia groups, but it is dominated by three: the pro-Iranian Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), led by Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim; followers of radical Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr; and interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari’s Dawa party.
KURDISTAN COALITION - 53 seats
The Kurdistan coalition is a secular list the brings together the two main Kurdish parties — the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, headed by interim Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and the Kurdish Democratic Party, led by Masoud Barzani, president of the autonomous Kurdish zone in the north.
IRAQI ACCORDANCE FRONT - 44 seats
The largest political bloc of Saddam’s once-dominant Sunni minority, the Accordance Front comprises three mainly Islamist Sunni groups that ended a boycott of the US-backed political process by taking part in the December elections. The Iraqi Islamic Party led by Adnan Dulaimi and Tareq al-Hashemi forms the bulk of the Front. It seeks to make changes to a constitution ratified in October despite Sunni opposition.
IRAQI NATIONAL LIST - 25 seats
Led by Iraq’s first post-war prime minister, Iyad Allawi, a secular Shi’ite long exiled in Britain, the Iraqi List includes 15 groups. It cuts across sectarian lines and includes the Communist party, veteran Sunni Arab politician Adnan Pachachi, tribal figures and liberal Shi’ite clerics.
IRAQI FRONT FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE - 11 seats
The group is headed by Sunni Arab nationalist Saleh al Mutlak, a wealthy businessman with links to Baathists close to the resistance. He promises to revise de-Baathification rules and return army officers to duty.
KURDISTAN ISLAMIC UNION - 5 seats
The third Kurdish party, the Kurdistan Islamic Union strives for Islamic laws in the country’s mainly secular Kurdish region.
LIBERATION AND RECONCILIATION BLOC - 3 seats
A small, mainly Sunni bloc led by Mishan al Jibouri which focuses mainly on Iraq’s Arab identity.
RISALIYOUN - 2 seats
A Shia Islamist list of followers of Moqtada al-Sadr.
UMMA PARTY - 1 seat
Secular Sunni politician Mithal al-Alusi.
IRAQI TURKMEN FRONT - 1 seat
Aims to protect the rights of Turkmen.
YAZIDI MOVEMENT FOR REFORM - 1 seat
Represents the Yazidi sect based in northern Iraq.
RAFIDAIN LIST - 1 seat
Comprises Chaldean and Assyrian Christian minorities. —Reuters
