BAGHDAD, Feb 15: The Shia list that won Iraq's elections agreed on Tuesday on Vice President Ibrahim Jaafari as its candidate for the premier ship, as parties continued to haggle over the makeup of the next executive.

Mr Jaafari, the man now poised to succeed Iyad Allawi and become Iraq's first elected premier since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003, is a popular politician who heads the country's oldest Shia party, Dawa.

"In two or three days it will probably be announced that Mr Jaafari is the candidate for the premier ship. We anticipate this to happen in a few days," the nominee's deputy, Adnan Ali, said.

A source from the rival Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq confirmed that its own candidate, Finance Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, had dropped out of the race.

"Doctor Jaafari was chosen after discussions with the other lists and agreement on this question was reached yesterday (Monday)," said United Iraqi Alliance candidate and SCIRI member Janan al Obeidi.

The main Shia coalition, backed by Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, is set to control more than half of the seats in the 275-member National Assembly and is widely expected to be handed the premier ship.

The joint ticket on which the two main Kurdish parties ran also made a strong showing in the Jan 30 general elections, for which results were announced on Sunday, and could clinch the presidency.

The Sunni community, which scored poorly and will be almost absent from parliament, could yet be handed the post of parliamentary speaker, as part of a general effort to involve the dis-empowered community in the upcoming constitution-drafting process. -AFP