The nation's preeminent Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, used his considerable moral authority to press for direct elections as soon as possible after the fall of the Hussein regime. The cleric ultimately signed off on a compromise plan scheduling elections for no later than January. Aides have warned that that date is firm.
Aware of the extreme sensitivities at play in the run-up to elections, the government of interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has stated that the voting would come off in January and no part of the country would be excluded.
In an effort to reach out to hostile areas of the so-called Sunni Triangle north and west of Baghdad, Allawi has offered an amnesty to insurgents who come forward and renounce violence. He has also met with delegations from Fallouja, Ramadi, Samarra and other hostile zones.
In addition, the interim leader has invited militant Shiites who revolted earlier this year to participate in the political system.
"There is no exclusion for any city," Adnan Ali, a spokesman for Vice President Ibrahim Jafari, said Sunday. "There are some security problems in Fallouja, but we are hoping to settle them."
Special correspondent Salar Jaff in Baghdad contributed to this report.
