Chalabi Lanches Election campaign......

[Joanne98]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Former Washington insider and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi launched his election campaign Wednesday with a call for a national-unity government to take office after a general election slated for Dec. 15.

Flanked by two female candidates running on his electoral ticket, Chalabi said his newly formed alliance wanted to step up the fight against corruption and terrorism. He also reasserted his loyalty to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most respected Shiite cleric, whose edicts, or fatwas, are binding for most of Iraq's majority Shiites.

Chalabi's electoral alliance comprises his own party — the National Iraqi Congress — in addition to a group that supports the restoration of the monarchy and small Kurdish and Turkomen.

"The political process in Iraq has progressed and matured since the last election. Now that it is stronger, the Iraqi people must have other choices," he told a news conference. "Our supporters don't endorse the ideology of Islamic rule but they respect it and are ready to cooperate with its proponents."

Chalabi refused to speculate about how many of parliament's 275 seats his alliance was expecting to win, saying only that while most of his fellow candidates were not nationwide household names, they have significant support in their constituencies.

Chalabi, once the Pentagon's favorite to replace Saddam Hussein, said he also was campaigning to upgrade Iraq's rickety infrastructure and improve services.

He also pledged his commitment to the expansion and strengthening of Iraq's army and police, saying U.S.-led coalition forces should withdraw from cities when Iraqi security forces are ready to take over security from them.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051102/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_elections;_ylt=Aj_wRPozg5nnc4jYy7kn51ZvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[johnfunk]

1. He needs a campaign slogan!

I will bring honor and dignity to graft and theocracy!