BAGHDAD, October 30, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Five main coalitions based largely on sectarian or ethnic lines will dominate the campaign for Iraq's December 15 general elections.

The Shiite United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which has a majority in the current parliament, is comprised of two religious based parties, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the Dawa party, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Sunday, October 30.

Supporters of Shiite firebrand Moqtada Sadr, who earlier rose in arms against the US occupation, have joined the alliance despite initial reports that he joined forces with the Sunni Iraqi Concord Front (ICF) in volatile Al-Anbar province.

The ICF, which entered the political fray on October 14, is made up of The Conference of the People of Iraq (CPI), the Islamic Party and the Iraqi National Dialogue (IND).

Two main Kurdish parties -- the Democratic Kurdistan Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan -- have renewed their alliance. However the small Islamic Union of Kurdistan has split and is running separately.

The fourth alliance is the National Congress for Iraq, which is led by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi, who split from the UIA.

The list includes Chalabi's own Iraqi National Congress party, some monarchists, and the current ministers of justice and education, both Shiites.

Chalabi has had a long and rocky relationship with Washington. After more than a year of frosty ties the relationship now seems to be on the mend. He is expected in Washington following an official invitation later this week, in a stunning political rehabilitation.

The fifth alliance, the Iraqi National List, is headed by former Iraqi prime minister and Washington favorite Iyad Allawi.

He touted the alliance as non-ethnic and non-secular and so better able to preserve the country's unity, AFP said.

It includes Allawi's own Iraqi National Accord party, the Communist Party, socialists, and supporters of Sunni politicians Adnan Pachachi and Vice President Ghazi al-Yawer.

Appearing at a televised news conference Saturday, October 29, alongside Allawi were communist leader Hamid Mejid Mussa as well as Pachachi, a former foreign minister.

"Growing ethnic polarization risks causing endless conflict in Iraq which could also split along sectarian lines," warned Allawi, who said only his own National List would offer a better deal for all.

"The facts prove that Iraq is in need of a powerful independent government," Allawi also said, while pledging to "preserve the unity of the country" and "to improve basic services".

Arab League Secretary General visited Iraq earlier in the month and held talks with all factions to set the stage for a national reconciliation conference in the Cairo-based pan-Arab body in the second half of November.

The December election will lead to a parliament with full constitutional powers for four years.