Shia bloc battles to maintain unity

[ECH1969]

A public rupture in the United Iraqi Alliance, the multi-party Shia bloc that captured more than half the seats in Iraq's transitional national assembly, has left clerical leaders scrambling to maintain unity and could give Iyad Allawi, the interim prime minister, a chance to keep his job.

The Alliance, also known as List 169, held a crisis meeting at the weekend. Alliance members emerged from the meeting promising that Iraq's new national assembly would be convened within the next 10 days, even if the shape of the new government was still unresolved.

Ali Said Yusha Hashem, head of a 15-seat group within the Shia bloc, said he might take his National Alliance elsewhere, while Abdel Karim al-Mohammadawi, Hizbollah head, also indicated he was ready to join another bloc.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/96f79fb0-8ead-11d9-8aae-00000e2511c8.html

[ECH1969]

1. Left out an interesting part

Ali Said Yusha Hashem, head of a 15-seat group within the Shia bloc, said he might take his National Alliance elsewhere, while Abdel Karim al-Mohammadawi, Hizbollah head, also indicated he was ready to join another bloc. Mr Hashem complained about "foreign influences", often a byword for Sciri's Iranian ties, and added that other disaffected parties would "speak for themselves" soon.
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hmmmm, it seems even leaders of blocks within the UIA are very worried about Iranian influence.