Shi'ites seen nominating Abdul Mahdi as Iraq PM
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-11 14:35

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The ruling Shi'ite alliance is expected to nominate Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi for prime minister of Iraq's first full-term government since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a senior alliance official said Saturday.

Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi gestures while giving an interview to a correspondent in Baghdad December 14, 2005. The ruling Shi'ite alliance is expected to nominate Mahdi for prime minister of Iraq's first full-term government since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a senior alliance official said Saturday. [Reuters]

The United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) will hold talks on Saturday and Abdul Mahdi is expected to emerge as the candidate.

"Abdul Mahdi is the favored candidate. We will meet this morning to decide," said the alliance official.

He said the alliance still has a few obstacles to overcome, mainly finding a job for current Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, whose Dawa party is part of the alliance.

Two other alliance candidates have said they were willing to drop out of the race on condition they get posts such as vice president but the main issue is finding a way out for Jaafari, said the official, who declined to be named.