BAGHDAD, March 7: Iraq's outgoing Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has refused an offer to join a coalition government led by the election-winning Shia bloc, senior leaders in the alliance said on Monday.

"He showed no interest in joining the government and turned down our offer," said Hussein Shahristani of the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA). Another figure in the UIA, which swept 140 of the 275 national assembly seats in January's election, said Mr Allawi was offered a role in proportion to the 40 seats garnered by his list.

"We did not offer him a specific position, but more the principle of participation," said Jawad al Maliky of the Dawa party, a leading member of the UIA. -AFP