Iraq political parties sign pact of honour

Iraq: At the end of last week, key Iraqi political parties and associations conferred for two days in the Baghdad suburb of Khadhamiya and signed a "Pact of Honour."

The conference was called by radical Shia cleric Muqtada Sadr, who opposes both the US occupation and Iranian interference in Iraqi affairs.

The event was attended by the Sadrists, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri); Dawa, the party of transitional prime minister Ibrahim Jaafari; the Iraqi Concord Front, a prominent Sunni movement; and former US favourite Ahmad Chalabi.

Dr Jaafari, who was abroad, considered the gathering important enough to apologise for his absence. The Association of Muslim Scholars, the most influential Sunni body, was conspicuous by its absence.

The pact, drafted by the Sadrists, consisted of 14 points.

Inter alia, it called for the "elimination of all consequences" of the US presence, including bases established during the occupation. It demanded an end to violation of Iraqi human rights by foreign forces and the lifting of the legal immunity for these forces.

The pact called for the rebuilding of Iraq's security services within a defined time-frame. It stated that "resistance [ to occupation] is the right of all peoples" but rejected terrorism as a form of resistance and condemned all sectarian violence, including kidnapping and murder.

The signatories classified the ousted Baath party as a "terrorist" organisation and agreed to reactivate the de-Baathification programme.

The pact proposed postponing implementation of federalism, an issue which has divided Shias and Kurds, who seek autonomous regions under a federal umbrella, from Sunnis, secularists, and Christians, who insist that Iraq requires a strong central government if it is to remain united.

Analysts suggest that attendance by these groups shows Sadrist influence is increasing. Mr Sadr's organisation is a member of the Shia United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), the largest bloc contesting Thursday's parliamentary election.

The UIA, which held the majority of seats in the outgoing transitional government, is dominated by Dawa and Sciri, Shia religious parties which are allied to the US and benefit from Iranian backing.

These parties and the Kurds, insist on federalism. The decision of Dawa and Sciri to go along with the Sadrists on this issue could indicate a shift in policy.

Meanwile, the Iraqi interior ministry said yesterday that Iraq will close its borders and impose curfews across the country as part of extensive security arrangements to thwart insurgent attacks on Thursday's election.

Violence has marred the run-up to the elections, with a spate of suicide bombings and abductions of at least eight foreigners in recent weeks.

Thousands of Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by the US military, will be on the country's streets to try to ensure Iraqis can vote safely for their first full parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Nearly 8,000 Iraqi special forces alone will surround polling sites on the day of the vote, a top Iraqi officer said.

US forces, eager to show that the elections are an entirely Iraqi affair, have said they plan to stay away from polling sites and rush in troops only in emergencies.

Iraq is imposing similar restrictions to those used for interim polls in January and a referendum in October, bringing activity around the country to a halt.

Businesses and government departments will close from Tuesday through Saturday. No vehicles except those with special permits will be allowed on the streets. - (Additional reporting Reuters)