BAGHDAD, June 23 (UPI) -- Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said he is preparing to hold a national dialogue with all forces opposed to the U.S. military presence in Iraq.
"We are preparing an all-out conference for national dialogue to discuss national unity, Iraq's future constitution, the construction of government institutions and the reactivation of the economy in Iraq," Allawi said in an interview with Cairo's mass-circulation daily al-Ahram Thursday.
He called on the Iraqi government under Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari to open up to all political forces in the country and avoid imposing its will on them.
"We want to build a modern Iraq based on dialogue and understanding, away from sectarianism and ethnic thinking," he said.
Allawi also said he is seeking to set up an alliance with liberal, Islamic and democratic movements, in addition to enlightened Sunni and Shiite clerics, to compete in the next general elections.
