Allawi’s bloc may break up after elections

A member of the Iraqiya List, a secular alliance of former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, says the bloc may break up after the release of legislative election results.

Jamal al-Battikh told US-funded Radio Sawa that a number of the bloc members may leave the alliance after they win seats on the council of representatives.

He said the bloc lacked coherence, adding that certain members were trying to quit the bloc as they held different views.

Headed by former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, the Iraqiya List is comprised of 20 political parties among which are Salah al-Mutlak’s National Dialogue Front and Ajeel Yawar’s party Reform and Justice Movement.

Five days after the elections, the initial results for five provinces have been released so far, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition holding the lead.

The results for 13 other provinces are yet to be announced.