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Interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen as his Shiite ticket’s candidate for Iraq’s next prime minister on Tuesday, after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid, senior alliance officials said. Al-Jaafari was most likely to be approved by two-thirds of the newly elected 275-member National Assembly when the parliament convenes. A date for that has not been set. The only other likely opponent for the post would be interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, who was nominated for the job by his group. The Iraqi List got only 14 per cent of the vote - or 40 seats.

Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iraq's interim vice-president, was virtually assured on Tuesday of becoming prime minister in the new government after his candidacy was accepted by the United Iraqi Alliance, the Shia-led bloc that swept the country's elections. The Alliance's decision followed a week of negotiations among parties within the bloc and after the withdrawal of two leading challengers, Ahmed Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress and Adel Abdul Mahdi of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Mr Jaafari, who hails from the Da'awa party, a Shia Islamist group with strong ties to Iran, is seen as one of...

Interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen as his Shiite ticket's candidate for prime minister Tuesday after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid, senior alliance officials said. Al-Jaafari's selection means he likely will lead Iraq's first democratically elected government in 50 years. But first he has to be approved by a coalition that likely will include the Kurds, and then he must be approved by a majority of the newly elected National Assembly. Pressure from within the ranks of the United Iraqi Alliance, which won Iraq's landmark Jan. 30 election, forced the withdrawal of Chalabi, a one-time Pentagon favorite, said Hussein...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Interim Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen Tuesday to be his Shiite ticket's candidate for prime minister after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid, senior alliance officials said. Pressure from within the ranks of the winning United Iraqi Alliance forced the withdrawal of Chalabi, a one-time Pentagon (news - web sites) favorite, said Hussein al-Moussai from the Shiite Political Council, an umbrella group for 38 Shiite parties. "They wanted him to withdraw. They didn't want to push the vote to a secret ballot," al-Moussawi said. The 140 members were to put the decision between Chalabi and al-Jaafari...

BAGHDAD - Ahmad Chalabi, a secular Shiite once known for his ties to Washington, and Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the conservative interim vice president, will face off in a secret ballot Tuesday to determine who will be the Shiite majority's choice for Iraqi prime minister, officials said. The decision to hold a secret ballot came after the clergy-backed United Iraqi Alliance, which has most of the seats in the 275-member National Assembly, was unable to decide on a nominee -- despite days of negotiations. Chalabi spokesman Haidar al-Moussawi said the most powerful man in predominantly Shiite Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, met...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Ahmad Chalabi, a secular Shiite once known for his ties to Washington, and Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the conservative interim vice president, will face off in a secret ballot Tuesday to determine who will be the Shiite majority's choice for Iraqi prime minister, officials said. The decision to hold a secret ballot came after the clergy-backed United Iraqi Alliance, which has most of the seats in the 275-member National Assembly, was unable to decide on a nominee - despite days of negotiations. Chalabi spokesman Haidar al-Moussawi said the most powerful man in predominantly Shiite Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali...

The leader of an Islamic party who is expected to be named Iraq's new prime minister in the next few days has urged Tony Blair not to pull out British troops.Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who would be the first Shia to be in charge of the Iraqi government, confounded his critics by saying that his country could not maintain order without the help of foreign soldiers. "Iraq's security services need more personnel, training and equipment," he said yesterday. "We need their presence for a certain time till we can depend on ourselves 100 per cent. "There are many people still working for...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Top Shiite politicians failed to reach a consensus Wednesday on their nominee for prime minister, shifting the two-man race to a secret ballot and exposing divisions in the winning alliance. In a chilling reminder of challenges facing the winner, a videotape showed a sobbing Italian hostage pleading for her life. After hours of closed-door meetings, members of the United Iraqi Alliance agreed to hold a secret ballot to choose between Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Ahmad Chalabi, most likely on Friday, said Ali Hashim al-Youshaa, one of the alliance's leaders. The contrast between the two candidates is stark...

BAGHDAD (AFP) -- Ibrahim Jaafari, who Tuesday emerged as the man most likely to be Iraq's new prime minister, is a religious Shiite who believes in modernizing Islam and boasts a popular support unmatched by any of his rivals. Jaafari, currently one of two largely ceremonial vice presidents, has been chosen as the candidate of the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance list that swept to power with 48 percent of the vote in the January 30 election. His Hezb al-Dawa al-Islamiyya (Islamic Call Party) quickly re-established itself in the southern Shiite heartland after the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion and many expected...

The main coalition of Shi'ite religious parties that won Iraq's general election has reportedly chosen its candidate to become the next prime minister. Sources said Dawa party leader Ibrahim al-Jaafari was picked as a potential new leader. The AFP news agency said a rival candidate from the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution, finance minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, had dropped out of the race. "Doctor Jaafari was chosen after discussions with the other lists and agreement on this question was reached yesterday (Monday)," council member Janan al Obeidi said. The Shi'ite coalition backed by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani won 48.1%...

Some ambiguity has been created by Saudi Arabia’s silence on the subject of the Iraqi government, the governing council created by the United States. The council has been subject to an intense opposition campaign from various Arab factions. But the fact that Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, welcomed Ibrahim Al-Jaafari in Jeddah last week broke the mental and political barrier. Perhaps it is time that those who are still against any contact with the governing council thought again. Luckily for the Iraqis, individual Arab nations have opened their doors to the governing council, thus...