AP: Sunni Leader Seeks National Unity Gov't

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sunni Arab participation in the elections could have been even higher if there had there been more polling centers in key Sunni areas, the head of the largest Sunni Arab slate said Friday.

Adnan al-Dulaimi, head of the Iraqi Accordance Front, told The Associated Press that his group's first task when they enter the parliament will be working to calm the security situation.

He predicted that the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance will not retain the slim majority they hold in the outgoing parliament because his Sunni group, the Kurdish Alliance and former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's ticket will gain strength.

"It makes the heart happy that all Iraqis went out and participated in the elections in large numbers, even in the areas that are referred to as hot. The situation was quiet; there were not any confrontations or riots," al-Dulaimi said in the telephone interview.

Sunni Arabs went out in large numbers to vote Thursday. Many of them had boycotted the landmark Jan. 30 general elections to protest the U.S.-led presence. This left them with only 17 of the 275 seats in parliament and putting the Shiites and Kurds in control.

Al-Dulaimi gave no estimate of the Sunni turnout but said it would have been "very high" if there had been more voting centers in Sunni areas.

"Still we believe there was high participation in the so-called hot areas like the provinces of Anbar, Diyala and Salahuddin," he said."
MyWay