Iraqi prime minister travels to Iran

TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki traveled to Iran Monday on another trip to regional neighbors, as his rival accused Iran of interfering in Iraq's business.

Maliki's chief rival Iyad Allawi from the inconclusive Iraqi elections in March has accused Iran of interfering in Iraqi affairs and of trying to impose its will on Iraq, the BBC reported. Maliki's visit is expected to take a back seat to the political situation in Iraq, which has been trying to form a new government since the elections.

While in Iran, Maliki is expected to meet with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other members of the Iranian leadership.

Maliki already visited Syria and Jordan and is expected to go to Egypt and Turkey.

Allawi, a former prime minister, accused Iran of trying to destabilize the Middle East, CNN reported.

"We know that unfortunately Iran is trying to wreak havoc on the region, and trying to destabilize the region by destabilizing Iraq, and destabilizing Lebanon and destabilizing the Palestinian issue," Allawi said Sunday on CNN.

Allawi's political opponent is the National Alliance -- a union of Maliki's State of Law Coalition and the Iraqi National Alliance, a bloc of Shiite parties backed by Iran. The alliance has a 159-seat parliamentary bloc, but need 163 seats among the 325 lawmakers to form a government.

Allawi's secular coalition, Iraqiya, has signaled it won't participate in a Maliki-led government, CNN said.

Allawi told CNN he didn't think the political stalemate in Iraq would end soon, in part because Maliki hasn't committed to a shared form of governance.

"What we are arguing for is power sharing," he said. "The constitution is wrong when it (puts) all authority within the prime minister's sphere. ... Now without him committing himself (it) is very difficult to work with him and it is unacceptable."