BAGHDAD, March 7 (Reuters) - A Shi'ite Islamist party announced on Wednesday it was quitting the powerful Iraqi Shi'ite coalition that has dominated Iraqi politics since elections in 2005.

The Fadhila party, which holds 15 of parliament's 275 seats, said it was leaving the United Iraqi Alliance and would continue as an independent bloc. Fadhila has long been at odds with the six other major parties inside the Shi'ite bloc and stayed away from government.

"We consider the first step of saving Iraq is to dismantle these blocs and to prevent blocs forming on a sectarian basis," Fadhila official Nadim al-Jabiri told a news conference.

The move could see Fadhila, influential in oil-rich Basra, courted to join a new coalition made up of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's secular bloc alongside the main Sunni bloc in parliament that aims to offer a counterweight to the dominant Alliance.

Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has promised a cabinet reshuffle soon.

AlertNet news is provided by

Delicio.us  |   Digg  |   NewsVine  |   Reddit                                                                                  Permalink