Iraq's Shi'ite Alliance recovering from first split

By Mariam Karouny

BAGHDAD, March 15 (Reuters) - Iraq's powerful Shi'ite Alliance has quickly recovered from the shock of the first split from the coalition and is reorganising its forces to ensure such defections are not repeated, insiders in the bloc say.

Alliance officials said they held an "important meeting" on Sunday attended by Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to discuss among other things the status of the Alliance after the small but influential Fadhila party broke away last week.

"It was a shock to see them leaving, but now we are over it and we think that it is for the better that they have left," said one senior Shi'ite Alliance official.

Other officials in the Alliance said the withdrawal of the Fadhila has brought the other parties in the coalition closer.

"The Fadhila has always opposed every decision the Alliance wants to take. It was causing problems, maybe it's better for everyone they left," a government Shi'ite source told Reuters.

The Fadhila has long been at odds with the six other major parties in the Shi'ite bloc and stayed out of the government when it did not receive the Oil Ministry.

The Alliance was formed just before the elections in 2005 with the blessing of top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al- Sistani and with the main goal of protecting the interests of the Shi'ite majority, oppressed under Saddam Hussein.

Since then the bloc, which brought together former rivals, has been dubbed the "holy Alliance".

There were power struggles over jobs in the government but the Fadhila's move was the first split from the coalition.

Members loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al Sadr suspended participation in parliament and government a few months ago but never split from the Alliance, and were reconciled last month.

"Yes, there were problems in the Alliance but the Fadhila's withdrawal made everyone realise that if we don't pull ourselves together we'll lose everything," another senior official said.



SHIFTING BLOCS

The Fadhila's move sparked speculation of a new alliance led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and joined by Sunni Arab blocs to form a bigger coalition and challenge the government. Any new coalition would need the support of the Kurdish bloc.

But the Shi'ite Alliance moved quickly. Sources within the Alliance said they managed to draw in some members of Allawi's bloc to weaken his coalition. They said they were also sure that Kurds would not join any coalition against the Alliance.

"We've made a decision to support Maliki to the end," a senior Kurdish official said. "The country cannot afford moves to topple the government, this is sensitive time for us all."

The Fadhila, which holds 15 of parliament's 275 seats, said it was open to join other blocs not formed on a sectarian basis.

But Alliance officials said Fadhila would be seen as turning against Shi'ite interests at a crucial time.

"The Fadhila are being blamed by their grassroots for what they have done," said Rida Jawad Takki, a senior Alliance official, adding the door was open if it wanted to come back.

"The Alliance has not been affected at all because it came at a time when there have been major successes," Takki said.

Sunni Arabs and ethnic Kurds also formed blocs along sectarian and ethnic lines to run in the 2005 elections. Since then sectarian divisions have grown, especially after the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in Samarra a year ago.

"One can only read the withdrawal of Fadhila as one thing," said another Shi'ite Alliance official and member of parliament.

"In Iraq, in the current Iraq, there is no such thing as holy Alliance, everything is breakable."