Shia leaders appeal for unity

Senior Shia figures today called for national unity after a coalition of its religious parties secured victory in Iraq's historic election.

The coalition took just over 48 per cent of the vote, and about 140 seats in the new 275-member national assembly.

An alliance between two main Kurdish parties came second with 26 per cent. They will take about 75 seats. The party of US-appointed interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, trailed third with just under 14 per cent and about 40 seats.

The results, after two weeks of counting, are final, subject to any challenge in the next three days.

A Shia alliance candidate is now likely to displace Mr Allawi as prime minister. But the margin of victory is not great enough for Shia clerics to dominate Iraq, as had been feared.

Iraq's interim constitution says the new prime minister must be elected by at least 184 members of the assembly, two-thirds of the total. The same margin is needed to control the writing of a new constitution. The Shia victors will need to compromise with other parties, something they said they were willing to do last night.

"Iraq is taking a new step towards democracy," said Fareed Ayar, a spokesman for the independent election commission, which also announced 58 per cent of Iraqis had cast their votes.

President Bush said: "I congratulate the Iraqi people for setting their country on the path of democracy."

The assembly's first task is to agree - by a vote of at least twothirds - on a president and two deputy presidents, who will select a prime minister and cabinet.

The lack of participation by Sunni voters and the continuing insurgency cast a shadow over the results. About 200 Iraqis have been killed since polling day.