Iraqi PM allies with Iran-backed Shiite group ahead of upcoming elections

BAGHDAD, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Sunday allied with a powerful Shiite group close to Iran in his stand for re-election in the coming national elections tentatively slated for May 12.

Abadi's "al-Naser Alliance," or Victory, and "al-Fatah Alliance," or Conquest, headed by Hadi al-Ameri, leader of powerful Shiite party Badr Organization, have signed an electoral pact on Sunday morning, said Mahmoud al-Rubaie, a Shiite politician in a statement.

Abadi has been credited with rebuilding the Iraqi army and defeating Islamic State (IS) militants, while Ameri has significant supporters in Iraqi Shiite community and his Badr militia took part in the fight against IS group.

The coalition of the two alliances was renamed "Victory of Iraq," according to Rubaie, who is a leading figure in the political office of Asa'b Ahl al-Haq, an Iranian-backed militant group.

Late on Saturday, Abadi announced his "Victory Alliance" coalition and called on all Iraqi factions to join his coalition, which he described as cross-sectarian coalition to unite Iraq and rebuild its future.

"I declare to all spectrum of Iraq to gather under the banner of a united Iraq in the coalition of Victory Alliance, which is a cross-sectarian one, and I call on the political entities who are faithful to Iraq to join our new national coalition," Abadi said in a statement issued by his office.

Despite being a leading figure in Islamic Dawa Party, which has close ties with Iran, Abadi managed to create better relations with the Iraqi Sunni community.

Abadi's predecessor Nuri al-Maliki, who went into bloody conflict with the Sunni Arabs, has paved the way for the extremist IS militants to take control of large areas in the predominantly Sunni provinces in northern and western Iraq in 2014.

Abadi chose to seek re-election in a separate coalition away from Nuri al-Maliki who holds the mainly ceremonial post of vice president as well as maintaining his post as head of Islamic Dawa Party.

Maliki will also run in the coming elections in a separate coalition named State of Law.

Dawa Party issued a statement calling on their supporters to freely choose between Maliki's or Abadi's alliances.

The Iraqi parliamentary vote and the vote for the provincial councils will be held together in the same day, which the Iraqi government and the electoral commission set for May 12, but according to the Iraqi constitution, the date still needs to be approved by the parliament and the presidential council. Enditem