Southern Iraq Gears Up for Elections

As in many other parts of Iraq, the upcoming electoral battle in the “Deep South” of Iraq around Basra looks set to be a contest between two main coalition tickets. On the one hand there is list 555, the United Iraqi Alliance, the pro-Shiite Islamist coalition which won last January’s elections and has since governed Iraq together with the largest Kurdish parties. The overall structure of the current bloc resembles last winter’s line-up. But this time the radical Sadrist current has signalled its intention to participate, and there are a few new independents on board, as well as a party catering for the interests of the tiny Shabak ethnic minority of northern Iraq… Full story here.