Iraqis in the predominantly Sunni city of Husaybah, wait in lines to vote, during the national election, December 15. Just a few weeks earlier, Soldiers and Marines battled insurgents in this city, located along the Syrian border.

This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Following the ratification of the Constitution of Iraq on October 15, 2005, a general election was held on 15 December to elect a permanent 275-member Iraqi National Assembly. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... To suggest a relevant news story for the main page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ... The electorate of Iraq went to the polls on 15 October 2005 to vote in a referendum on whether or not to ratify the proposed Iraqi constitution of 2005. ... The current constitution of Iraq was approved by an October 15, 2005 ratification vote. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Iraqi National Assembly is the unicameral parliament of Iraq which meets in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. ...

The elections took place under a list system, whereby voters chose from a list of parties and coalitions. 230 seats will be apportioned among Iraq's 18 governates based on the number of registered voters in each as of the January 2005 elections, including 59 seats for Baghdad Governorate [1]. The seats within each governate will be allocated to lists through a system of Proportional Representation. An additional 45 "compensatory" seats will be allocated to those parties whose percentage of the national vote total (including out of country votes) exceeds the percentage of the 275 total seats that they have been allocated. Women will be required to occupy 25% of the 275 seats[2]. The change in the voting system will give more weight to Sunni voters, who make up most of the of voters in several provinces. It is expected that these provinces will thus return mostly Sunni representatives. The nationwide vote of the previous election meant that the low voter turnout among Sunnis was overwhelmed by the high turnout of the Shi'ites and Kurd. In the previous election the largest Sunni block received only 5 seats. This article lists political parties in Iraq. ... Iraq is divided into 18 governorates or provinces, called muhafazat in Arabic (singular - muhafazah): The current set of governorates were established in 1976. ... Iraqi police officers hold up their index fingers marked with purple indelible ink, a security measure to prevent double voting. ... Baghdad Governorate (Arabic: ) in the nation of Iraq includes the city of Baghdad and the surrounding metropolitan area, including Al Mahmudiyah and the infamous Abu Ghraib. ... Proportional representation (PR) is a (by necessity multi-winner) electoral system whose use tends to make elections result in groups of votes being represented in proportional fractions in some body of representatives, i. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamaah. ... Voters lining up outside a Baghdad polling station during the 2005 Iraqi election. ... Shia Islam or Shi`ism (from the Arabic word شيعة, short for the historic phrase shi`at `Ali شيعة علي, meaning the advocates of Ali) is the second-largest denomination of the religion of Islam. ... The Kurds are an ethnic group inhabiting a mountainous area of the Middle-East that includes parts of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Syria i. ...

Early results

Uncertified partial results[3] issued by the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq indicate that the main religious Shi'a list, the United Iraqi Alliance has retained a leading position. The United Iraqi Alliance is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes (48. ...

However the cross-community Iraqi National List and religious Sunni Iraqi Accord Front have protested[4] of ballot fraud by UIA-allied militia in Baghdad and southern Iraq. The Iraqi National List is a coaltion of Iraqi political parties planning to run in the December 2005 Iraqi elections. ... The Iraqi Accord Front is the Iraqi political party created on October 26, 2005. ...

Full results

Official results were released on Friday 20th January 2006.

The Iraqi National Assembly is the unicameral parliament of Iraq which meets in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. ... The United Iraqi Alliance is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes (48. ... The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan is the name of the electoral coalition first presented as a united Kurdish list in the January 2005 election in Iraq. ... The Iraqi Accord Front is the Iraqi political party created on October 26, 2005. ... The Iraqi National List is a coaltion of Iraqi political parties planning to run in the December 2005 Iraqi elections. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Hewar National Iraqi Front. ... Kurdistan Islamic Union (Arabic: مالَثةرِي حزبي يةكطرتووي كوردستان / عيَراق Kurdish: Yekîtiya Islamiya Kurdistan) is a party of the Muslim Brotherhood. ... The Reconciliation and Liberation Bloc is an Iraqi political party. ... The Iraqi Turkmen Front (Turkmen: Irak Türkmen Cephesi) is a political movement founded in 1995 which seeks to represent the Turkmen people of Iraq. ... The National Rafidain List or Al Rafideen National List is one of the coalitions of Iraqi political parties that ran in the 2005 Iraqi election. ... Mithal al-Alusi is an Iraqi politician and the leader of the Democratic Iraqi Nation Party. ... The National Independent Cadres and Elites (NICE) is an Iraqi political party. ... The Islamic Action Organization In Iraq - Central Command is one of the electoral coalitions that participated in the January 30, 2005 National Assembly legislative election in Iraq. ... The National Democratic Party is an Iraqi political party. ...

New Government

Under the constitution of Iraq, the President and Prime Minister require the support of two thirds of the incoming Iraqi National Assembly. Based on the above results it appears unlikely that the largest list, the United Iraqi Alliance will have enough members to form a government on its own. The current constitution of Iraq was approved by an October 15, 2005 ratification vote. ... The Iraqi National Assembly is the unicameral parliament of Iraq which meets in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. ... The United Iraqi Alliance is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes (48. ...

After the elections, leaders of all four major political groups called for a government to be formed that includes all major groups. Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani called for a "government linking everyone, Arabs be they Shias or Sunnis, Kurds and Turkomans" [5]. Adnan al-Dulaimi of the Iraqi Accord Front said he was willing to enter into coalition with the Kurdish Alliance, the Iraqi National List or the United Iraqi Alliance[6] Jalal Talabani (in Kurdish:ﻰﻧ ﺎﺑﻪﻟﺎﺗ ﻝﻻﻪﺟ /Celal Talebanî )(in Arabic: جلال طالباني: jalâl tâlabânî) (born 1933), Iraqi politician, was named President of Iraq on April 6, 2005 by the Iraqi National Assembly. ... The Iraqi Accord Front is the Iraqi political party created on October 26, 2005. ... The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan is the name of the electoral coalition first presented as a united Kurdish list in the January 2005 election in Iraq. ... The Iraqi National List is a coaltion of Iraqi political parties planning to run in the December 2005 Iraqi elections. ... The United Iraqi Alliance is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes (48. ...

On 2 January the main Sunni list, the Iraqi Accord Front held meetings with Kurdish representatives in Irbil. They reportedly said they would abandon claims that the elections had been rigged once the international election monitors' review is complete, and agreed an outline of a new national unity government. [7] After meeting with Talabani on 8 January, Adnan al-Dulaimi said that significant headway had been made of forming a coalition government and that "Talabani and I have an identical point of view regarding the formation of a national unity government based on consensus" [8] The Iraqi Accord Front is the Iraqi political party created on October 26, 2005. ...

The rival Sunni list headed by Saleh al-Mutlaq accused the Front of breaking an agreement with his and Allawi's lists to not discuss the new government with the Kurds. "We were shocked today when we heard that our brothers, who signed agreements with us yesterday to discuss just the fraudulent elections with the Kurdish leaders, instead were discussing forming a national unity government. This act definitely weakens and distracts our claims about the fraudulent results. I believe they are capable of making a deal with the devil himself so that they can be represented widely in the coming government." [9]

The Sadrist faction within the UIA has meanwhile ruled out including Allawi's list in the new government. Baha Araji, a negotiator for the UIA list is reported saying "Allawi is a red line... Allawi represents the Baathists. He's against us. He's arrested our people" [10]

Following a suicide bombing in Karbala, UIA factions also hardened their line against Sunni participation. Sadrist demonstrators in Baghdad chanted "We're going to crush Saleh al-Mutlaq with our slippers", accusing him of backing the Karbala bombers. Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, the leader of the largest faction within the UIA, said the Sunni parties' alleged support for terrorism "for the sake of immediate political interests" would "only increase our willingness to exclude" those "who promulgate and make excuses for terrorism" [11] Karbalā (Arabic: ; also transliterated as Kerbala or Kerbela) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32. ... Abdul Aziz al-Hakim (b. ...

SCIRI, the largest party within the UIA has said it will propose its deputy leader, Adel Abdul Mehdi for the post of Prime Minister[12]. He was also proposed after the January 2005 elections, but was withdrawn in favour of Ibrahim al-Jafaari, leader of the Daawa party (another member of the UIA) who was more acceptable to the secular Kurds. The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) is an Iraqi political party; its support comes from the countrys Shia Muslim community and from their fellow religionists in neighbouring Iran. ...

Meanwhile Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani has said he "wouldn't object" if UIA nominates Jafaari for PM. [13] Jalal Talabani (in Kurdish:ﻰﻧ ﺎﺑﻪﻟﺎﺗ ﻝﻻﻪﺟ /Celal Talebanî )(in Arabic: جلال طالباني: jalâl tâlabânî) (born 1933), Iraqi politician, was named President of Iraq on April 6, 2005 by the Iraqi National Assembly. ...

Jalal Talabani, current President of Iraq, said prior to the election that he would not seek re-election as President, because it has few powers compared to the Prime Minister. "I'm not ready to be a puppet president of this country," he said. "The president must be partner with the prime minister in ruling Iraq on all levels, foreign affairs, internal everything"[14] Jalal Talabani (in Kurdish:ﻰﻧ ﺎﺑﻪﻟﺎﺗ ﻝﻻﻪﺟ /Celal Talebanî )(in Arabic: جلال طالباني: jalâl tâlabânî) (born 1933), Iraqi politician, was named President of Iraq on April 6, 2005 by the Iraqi National Assembly. ...

Impact of election

The election is expected to have a significant impact on the politics of Iraq. Most significant developments are expected to be:

Broadening of political space

This election will see the participation of two important groups - the Sunnis and the Sadrists - who did not participate significantly in the prior legislative elections. The domestic component of the insurgency has been linked to both groups. Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al-Sadr (Arabic: مقتدى الصدر, also transliterated as Moqtada Alsadr) (born c. ...

Debate over Federalism and Succession

The elected Assembly will have the difficult task of ratifying a constitution. The initial debate is likely to focus on the power of a centralized government and policies surrounding natural resources, security and civil services. If the political process fails, resulting in an unauthorized constitution, there is a real risk of prolonging war. A government in which power is concentrated in a central authority to which local governments are subject. ...

Increased choice within communities

All three main communities will go into these elections with at least two significant coalitions to choose from. Parties have split from both the main Shi'a and Kurdish coalitions and two lists from the Sunni community are tipped to win significant support in that community.

Anti-incumbency vote

The main competition in the last election within the majority Shi'a community was between the secular outgoing Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, and the United Iraqi Alliance which was backed by the religious authorities. This time the religious authorities have refused to back the Alliance and this may be influential in persuading some Shi'a to consider supporting Allawi. However, religious voters may prefer to vote for Sadr rather than casting their vote for Allawi, who is considered pro-American. The Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraqs head of government. ... Iyad Allawi Dr. Iyad Allawi (Arabic: ) (born 1945) is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraqs 2005 legislative elections. ... The United Iraqi Alliance is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes (48. ...

Averting a Civil War

Some predicted that if there wasn't a balance of representation between Sunnis and Shias, that the country was at risk of increased insurgency and perhaps civil war. The likelihood of a civil war remains remote. The current insurgency, lacking the command and control infrastructure needed for large scale military operations, is not equipped to stage more than a haphazard guerrilla campaign. The presence of over 150,000 U.S. and British troops on the ground in Iraq would pose a major obstacle to any concerted effort to organize an effective military counter to the current Iraqi regime. According to an interview with Rajaa al-Bhayesh, a political scientist at Baghdad's Mustansiriya University, fear of wider civil conflict -- beyond the likely continuation of violence by fringe groups like al Qaeda -- is likely to promote the spirit of compromise. [15] Mustansiriya University, established in 1233 as an college of Sunni Islam, is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the region. ... Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda al-Qaeda (Arabic: , el-Qā‘idah or al-Qā‘idah; the foundation or the base) is the name given to an international Islamic fundamentalist campaign comprised of independent and collaborative cells that all profess the same cause of reducing outside influence upon Islamic...

Parties and coalitions

The deadline for registering parties and coalitions closed on 28 October. The Electoral Commission announced that 228 lists had been registered, including 21 coalitions.

The emerging Iraqi political scene has been marked by groups of established parties running on joint lists, often grouped on sectarian or ethnic grounds. These lists are not necessary stable, as the parties sharing a list may be past or present rivals; the situation will be even more complicated for the December 2005 election because parties can form different alliances in different governorates. The landscape is currently fluid; what follows is a list of some of the more important parties and coalitions, with a focus on alliances that have shifted since the January 2005 election.

United Iraqi Alliance (#555)

This coalition, dominated by Shi'ite parties, was formed to contest the January 2005 election with the blessing of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most senior Shi'ite cleric based in Iraq. It won the most votes in that election and became the senior partner in the coalition government that ran Iraq for most of 2005. The UIA's main components were: The United Iraqi Alliance is the electoral coalition that achieved the most votes (48. ... Ayatollah (Arabic: آية الله; Persian: آيت‌الله) is a high title given to major Shia clergymen. ... Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani His Honourable Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani (Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني Persian: سید علی حسینی سیستانی), born approximately August 4, 1930, is a Grand Ayatollah, a Shia marja and currently an important person in relation to the occupation of Iraq. ... A cleric is: A member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals; or A member of a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy role-playing games. ...

• The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) led by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and the transitional Deputy President Adel Abdul Mahdi
• The Islamic Dawa Party led by transitional Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari
• The Iraqi National Congress of Ahmed Chalabi
• The al-Fadhila Islamic Party, which includes the Governor of Basra, Mohammed al-Waili
• Iraqi Hezbollah, led by former Interim Governing Council member Sheikh Abdul Karim Mahoud al-Muhammadawi, who led the rebellion by the Marsh Arabs against Saddam Hussein.
• A number of independent politicians, including some supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr (although other Sadr supporters formed the National Independent Cadres and Elites party).

In advance of the December 2005 elections, Moqtada al-Sadr's party chose to join the Alliance. However, the Iraqi National Congress and Iraqi Hezbollah left the Alliance to form their own lists. For the December 2005 elections, the list's places would be split between the parties as follows: The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) is an Iraqi political party; its support comes from the countrys Shia Muslim community and from their fellow religionists in neighbouring Iran. ... The Presidency Council of Iraq, under the Transitional Administrative Law, serves collectively as the head of state. ... The Islamic Dawa Party (Arabic حزب الدعوة الإسلامية Hizb al-Dawa al-Islamiyya) is an Iraqi political organization. ... The Prime Minister of Iraq is Iraqs head of government. ... Ibrahim al-Jaafari Dr. Ibrahim al-ÙŽAshaiqir al-Jaafari (Arabic: ) (born 1947) is the new Prime Minister of Iraq in the Iraqi Transitional Government following the elections of January 2005. ... The Iraqi National Congress (INC) is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. ... Ahmed Chalabi Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi1 (Arabic: احمد الجلبي) (born October 30, 1944) is a deputy prime minister in Iraq, and formerly interim oil minister [1]. Once dubbed the George Washington of Iraq by American Neoconservatives, he has since fallen out of favor and is currently under investigation by several government sources. ... Location of Basra Basra (also spelled BaÅŸrah or Basara; historically sometimes written Busra, Busrah, and the early form Bassorah; Arabic: , Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ... The Hezbollah flag Hezbollah (Arabic ‮حزب الله‬, meaning Party of God, for other designations or alternative spellings, see name part of this article) is a Shia Islamist group in Lebanon founded in 1982 to fight the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. ... The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30th, 2005. ... The Marsh Arabs are the inhabitants of the lowlands of southern Iraq, the former Mesopotamia, whose families have lived in the area for thousands of years. ... Wikinews has news related to this article: Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was President of Iraq from 1979 until his removal and capture after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al-Sadr (Arabic: مقتدى الصدر, also transliterated as Moqtada Alsadr) (b. ... The National Independent Cadres and Elites (NICE) is an Iraqi political party. ... Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al-Sadr (Arabic: مقتدى الصدر, also transliterated as Moqtada Alsadr) (b. ... The Iraqi National Congress (INC) is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. ...

• Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) - 30 places
• Moqtada al-Sadr's party - 30 places
• Islamic Dawa Party - 29 places
• al-Fadhila Islamic Party - 14 places
• others - 15 places

In a blow to the Alliance, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani announced that he would not back any particular party for the election; he merely encouraged people to vote "according to their beliefs." He is said to have been disappointed with the performance of the transitional government. The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) is an Iraqi political party; its support comes from the countrys Shia Muslim community and from their fellow religionists in neighbouring Iran. ... Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al-Sadr (Arabic: مقتدى الصدر, also transliterated as Moqtada Alsadr) (b. ... The Islamic Dawa Party (Arabic حزب الدعوة الإسلامية Hizb al-Dawa al-Islamiyya) is an Iraqi political organization. ... Ayatollah (Arabic: آية الله; Persian: آيت‌الله) is a high title given to major Shia clergymen. ... His Honourarable Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani (Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني Persian: سید علی حسینی سیستانی), born approximately August 4, 1930, is a Grand Ayatollah, a Shia marja and currently an important person in relation to the occupation of Iraq. ...

The Kurdistan Alliance (#730)

This Kurdish-dominated coalition was formed for the January 2005 election by the two main Kurdish parties -- the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Kurdish Autonomous Region President Masoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan of the transitional Iraqi President Jalal Talabani -- plus some other smaller parties. The DPAK formed a coalition government with the UIA in the wake of the January 2005 elections. The Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan is the name of the electoral coalition first presented as a united Kurdish list in the January 2005 election in Iraq. ... The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP; Kurdish: Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê or PDK) is a Kurdish political party led by Massoud Barzani. ... See also Southern (or Iraqi) Kurdistan The Kurdish Autonomous Region is a political entity established in 1970 following the agreement of an Autonomy Accord between the government of Iraq and leaders of the Iraqi Kurdish community. ... Massoud Barzani (born August 16, 1946) is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. ... The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (est 1975) (Kurdish: Yaketi Nishtimani Kurdistan) // Mission The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has been working for self-determination, human rights, democracy and peace for the Kurdish people of Iraq, since its establishment in 1 June 1975. ... The Presidency Council of Iraq, under the Transitional Administrative Law, serves collectively as the head of state. ... Jalal Talabani (in Kurdish:ﻰﻧ ﺎﺑﻪﻟﺎﺗ ﻝﻻﻪﺟ /Celal Talebanî )(in Arabic: جلال طالباني: jalâl tâlabânî) (born 1933), Iraqi politician, was named President of Iraq on April 6, 2005 by the Iraqi National Assembly. ...

This coalition will also contest the December elections, but the smaller Kurdistan Islamic Union, who won 10 percent of the seats in the Dahuk and Sulaymaniyah governorate elections in January, has announced that it will form its own governmental lists. Kurdistan Islamic Union (Arabic: مالَثةرِي حزبي يةكطرتووي كوردستان / عيَراق Kurdish: Yekîtiya Islamiya Kurdistan) is a party of the Muslim Brotherhood. ... Categories: Stub | Provinces of Iraq ... As Sulaymānīyah province is a province of Iraq, within the Kurdish Autonomous Region. ...

Iraqi National List (#731)

The Iraqi List was established by Iyad Allawi, who served as interim Prime Minister before the January 2005 election. It is dominated by his Iraqi National Accord party. The Iraqi National List is a coaltion of Iraqi political parties planning to run in the December 2005 Iraqi elections. ... The Iraqi List (Arabic: al-Qayimaal Iraqia) is a political party list in the Iraqi National Assembly election, 2005, consisting of mainly secular Shia. ... Iyad Allawi Dr. Iyad Allawi (Arabic: ) (born 1945) is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraqs 2005 legislative elections. ... The Iraqi National Accord (INA) is an Iraqi political party headed by Iyad Allawi. ...

For the December 2005 election, it has joined forces with former interim President Ghazi al-Yawar's The Iraqis list, the People's Union list (which is dominated by the Iraqi Communist Party), and the Sunni Arab politician Adnan Pachachi and his Assembly of Independent Democrats to form a single list called the Iraqi National List. This list will attempt to present a secular and trans-community alternative to the other major lists, which are more based on the support of a single ethnic or religious groups. The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30th, 2005. ... Ghazi al-Yawer Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer (born 1958? in Mosul, Iraq) is the interim President of Iraq. ... The Iraqis is an Iraqi political party led by interim President Ghazi al-Yawar. ... The Ittihad Al Shaab or Program of Peoples Unity is the communist party list in the 2005 Iraqi election. ... Since its foundation in 1934, the Iraqi Communist Party (in Arabic: الحزب الشيوعي العراقي) has dominated the left in Iraqi politics. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Adnan Pachachi Adnan Pachachi (born on May 14, 1923 in Baghdad), is the scion of a Sunni Arab family with a long tradition in Iraqi politics. ... The Assembly of Independent Democrats is one of the electoral coalitions that participated in the January 30, 2005 National Assembly legislative election in Iraq. ...

Iraqi Accord Front (#618)

The Iraqi Islamic Party party originally registered for the January elections but then decided to boycott the polls, which meant that it did not gain any seats. It has decided to participate in the December elections, forming a list called the Iraqi Accord Front with two other smaller parties, the Iraqi Peoples' Gathering and the Iraqi National Dialogue. These parties aim to tap the Sunni Arab vote; Sunni Arabs overwhelmingly boycotted the January election, but increased Sunni participation in the constitutional referendum may indicate an increased Sunni turnout for the December elections, especially because more than 1,000 Sunni clerics called on their followers to vote, according to the New York Times [16]. However, the Association of Muslim Scholars, which is influential in the Sunni community, has called for a boycott of the December elections, which could have an adverse impact on the Iraqi Accord Front's success. The Iraqi Accord Front is the Iraqi political party created on October 26, 2005. ... Iraqi Islamic Party (Hizb al-Islami al-Airaqi), a Sunni political party in Iraq. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... The electorate of Iraq went to the polls on 15 October 2005 to vote in a referendum on whether or not to ratify the proposed Iraqi constitution of 2005. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The Association of Muslim Scholars (Hayat Al-Ulama Al-Muslimin, sometimes called Association Of Muslim Clerics or Muslim Scholars Association), is a group of well-known Sunni religious leaders in Iraq, including Sheikh Harith Sulayman al-Dari (Chairman), Sheikh Abdel-Salam al-Kubaisi and Sheikh Abdel-Sattar Abdel-Jabbar. ...

Other lists

• National Peace List (#635) Led by Laith Kubba, the spokesman of the current Iraqi PM, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari
• Arabic List (#615)
• Independent Karbala Coalition (#533) - A Shi'ite group based in Karbala
• Brotherhood and Peace List (#737)
• National Congress Coalition (#569) - Made up of the Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress and some smaller groups including the monarchist Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy. Current Justice Minister Abd al-Husayn Shandal has also joined this block. The list is mostly Shi'ite, but with some Sunnis.
• Islamic Coalition (#549)
• Justice and Future Coalition (#517)
• Al Nahrain National List (#752) - An Iraqi Christian list
• Al Wafaa For Basrah Gathering (#512)
• Hewar National Iraqi Front (#667) - A mainly Sunni coalition, unlike the accord it is avowedly secular and opposed to the new constitution. It is led by Saleh al-Mutlak, who was a leader of Sunni opposition to the new constitution.
• Furation-Human Rights (#647)
• Mithal Al Aloosi List For Iraqi Nation (#620)
• Watanion Gathering (#814)
• Iraq Sun (#652)
• Al Khalas National Front (#798)
• Iraq Turkmen Front (#630)
• Unified National List (#829)
• Iraqi Free Progressive Party (#631). Its leader, Iraqi Sunni politician Mizhar Dulaimi was shot dead while campaigning in Ramadi on December 13. The previous night, he had appeared on television urging Sunnis to take part in the elections. [17]

The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Karbalā (Arabic: ; also transliterated as Kerbala or Kerbela) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32. ... The Brotherhood and Peace List is one of the electoral lists contesting the Iraqi legislative election, December 2005. ... The Iraqi National Congress (INC) is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. ... The Iraqi Constitutional Monarchy (ICM) is a monarchist political party in Iraq led by Sharif Ali Bin al-Hussein. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Member parties The Democratic Progress And Justice Party. ... An Iraqi Christian list Member parties Assyrian Patriotic Party. ... Hewar National Iraqi Front bloc has coalesced around independent Hassan Zaydan, comprising a number of small movements such as the Iraqi National Front, led by Minister of State Saleh al-Mutlaq, the Christian Democratic Party and the Arab Democratic Front. ... Member parties Babil People Gathering. ... It has been suggested that Turkmen front be merged into this article or section. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... RamădÄ« (الرمادي) is a city in central Iraq, about 100 kilometers west of Baghdad. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Fraud allegations

Iraqis protest the December 15, 2005 election results.

On December 22, 2005 Sunni Arab and secular Shiite factions demanded that an international body review election fraud complaints, and threatened to boycott the new legislature. The United Nations rejected the idea. Image File history File links Iraqis_protest_december_2005_election. ... Image File history File links Iraqis_protest_december_2005_election. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Main article: League of Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ...

On Friday, December 23, 2005, large demonstrations broke out across Iraq to denounce the parliamentary elections. Protesters said that the elections were rigged in favor of the main religious Shiite coalition. Many Iraqis outside the religious Shiite coalition allege that the elections were unfair to smaller Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups. As many as 20,000 people demonstrated after noon prayers in southern Baghdad. Over 2,000 people demonstrated in Mosul, accusing Iran of having a hand in election fraud. December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Baghdad within Iraq Baghdad (Arabic: , Persian: بغداد (Meaning in Persian : from angels) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Province. ... Mosul (36°22′N 43°07′E; Arabic: , Kurdish: Mûsil, Syriac: ܢܝܢܘܐ NînÄ›wâ) is a city in northern Iraq. ...

Sheik Mahmoud al-Sumaidaei of the Association of Muslim Scholars, a major Sunni clerical group, told followers during prayers at Baghdad's Umm al-Qura mosque that they were "living a conspiracy built on lies and forgery." [18] 2 The Association of Muslim Scholars (Hayat Al-Ulama Al-Muslimin, sometimes called Association Of Muslim Clerics or Muslim Scholars Association), is a group of well-known Sunni religious leaders in Iraq, including Sheikh Harith Sulayman al-Dari (Chairman), Sheikh Abdel-Salam al-Kubaisi and Sheikh Abdel-Sattar Abdel-Jabbar. ... Umm al-Qura signifies the center of villages in Arabic. ... // Mosque; Aswan, Egypt. ...

Violience grew over the controversial election results. Car bombings and attacks on US and Iraqi officials continued after the elections. In Mosul Qusay Salahaddin, a Sunni Arab student leader was abducted and killed after leading a demonstration against the election results. Some 2,000 fellow students gathered at the mosque where Salahaddin's body was taken. Sunni's quickly accused militia forces loyal to one of the main parties in the Shiite Alliance bloc for Salahaddin's death. No group has yet claimed responsiblity for the murder.[19] Qusay Salahaddin was as Sunni Arab student in Mosul. ...

External references

• Uncertified results released January 20, 2006 (on the website of the Iraqi Election Commission)
• Election Law (from the Election Commission website
• Apportionment of 230 seats among the 18 Governorates
• Pakistan Daily Times
• Iraqi Election Commission Fact Sheet
• The Hill Iraq’s pre-election political landscape proves complex
• List of parties
• Iraq the Model goes deep inside the Iraqi election
• An Average Iraqi look at the Possible Winners
• Iraqi Voters Choose First Permanent Constitutional Government
• Straw poll shows close race in Iraq
• Iraq takes another step down a long, hard road, The Economist, December 16, 2005

• Sunni Leader Open to Coalition Government

• Shiites,Kurds Lead in Polls

• Christian slate wins narrow plurality in U.S. expat voting