BAGHDAD, May 3 (UPI) -- Two dominant Shiite political coalitions in Iraq discussed forming an alliance as a recount gets under way for ballots in Baghdad, officials said Monday.
Jassim Mohammed Jaafar, a member of the State of Law slate of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, told the Voices of Iraq news agency that the coalition was teaming with the Iraqi National Alliance.
"The two blocs have agreed on the mechanisms to form a coalition between them," he said.
The Iraqi National Alliance is led by Ahmed Chalabi. The Justice and Accountability Commission, led by Chalabi, disqualified several winners from the March 7 contest on allegations they were tied to the outlawed Baath Party of Saddam Hussein.
The disqualification could tip the balance in the legislature. The Iraqiya slate of former interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi beat the State of Law slate by two seats, though neither of the coalitions won enough seats to unilaterally form a government.
The INA won 70 seats in the contest and State of Law won 89 seats. It takes 163 seats to make a majority in the Iraqi Council of Representatives
Meanwhile, Iraqi election officials began a recount Monday for ballots cast in Baghdad province. State of Law officials, however, complained that election officials were making "election results unrepresentative of Iraqi voters will."
