United Iraqi Alliance is a broad-based coalition of over 20 groups, but it is dominated by the two
major Shia parties, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari's Islamic Daawa Party, and Abd al-Aziz Hakim's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI).
UNITED IRAQI ALLIANCE
Al-Sadr Bloc
Al-Shabak Democratic Grouping
Badr Organisation
Centre Grouping Party
Community of Justice
Hezbollah Movement in Iraq
Iraqi Democrats Movement
Islamic Daawa Party
Islamic Daawa Party - Iraq Organisation
Islamic Master of the Martyrs Movement
Islamic Union for Iraqi Turkomans
Islamic Virtue Party
Justice and Equality Grouping
Malhan Al Mukatir
Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq
The Free of Iraq
Turkoman Loyalty Movement
The UIA won a narrow majority of 140 seats out of a total 275 seats in the Transitional National Assembly in January.
For December's poll, the alliance was joined by parties supporting radical Shia cleric Muqtada Sadr.
The alliance's platform calls for national unity, the enforcement of the new constitution, the end of the US-led coalition's presence, the de-politicisation of government institutions, and the formation of regional governments.
The bloc is likely to again capitalise on support from Iraq's Shia majority, but its success may be tempered by the decision of Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's most revered cleric, not to give the alliance his explicit support.
The group's coalition government has also been criticised for poor performance.
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KURDISTAN ALLIANCE
The Kurdistan Alliance (KA) brings together the two dominant Kurdish parties, Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
KURDISTAN ALLIANCE
Chaldean Democratic Union Party
Kurdistan Communist Party
Kurdistan Democratic Party
Kurdistan Islamic Group / Iraq
Kurdistan Labour Party
Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Turkoman Brotherhood Party / Iraq
The KA formed the second largest bloc in the Transitional National Assembly, while the two parties' joint list took 90% of the vote in the Kurdish parliament.
The alliance seeks to represent and advance Kurdish interests in the Iraqi parliament and campaigns under the slogan: "Our votes, our future".
It wants freedom, democracy, and further political and constitutional gains for all Iraqi citizens irrespective of their ethnic, political, or religious affiliations.
The KA was hit by the withdrawal of the Kurdistan Islamic Union, which complained about the KDP and PUK's dominance of Kurdish political life. Despite this, the alliance is likely to retain its share of the vote in Kurdistan.
It may face a challenge in the more ethnically-mixed provinces where Sunni Arabs are expected to vote in increased numbers compared to January.
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IRAQI NATIONAL LIST
The Iraqi National List is a secular nationalist alliance made up of Sunnis and Shias led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
IRAQI NATIONAL LIST
Arab Socialist Movement
Central Euphrates Grouping
Democratic al-Qasimi Grouping
Independent Iraqi Association
Independent Iraqi Sheikhs Council
Iraqi Communist Party
Iraqi Independent Democrats Grouping
Iraqi National Accord Movement
Iraqi Republican Grouping
Iraqiyun (Iraqis)
League of Iraqi Turkoman Tribes and Notables
Loyalty to Iraq Grouping
National List
The Free Unity Party
Mr Allawi's party, the Iraqi National Accord Movement, is joined by Hamid Musa's Iraqi Communist Party, the Iraqiyun party of former President Ghazi al-Yawer and National Assembly Speaker Hajim al-Hassani, and veteran politician Adnan al-Pachachi's Independent Democrats Grouping.
The list claims to "represent all of Iraq and not just one party".
It wants to build a democratic, secular and modern Iraq, with strong security forces and good relations with its neighbours.
During the election campaign, Mr Allawi emphasised his track record as interim prime minister. In contrast to the ineffective UIA-KA coalition government, he said, the Iraqi National List will "make a decision and implement it".
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IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS LIST
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress stood as part of the UIA for the January 2005 elections.
IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS LIST
Democratic Iraqi Grouping
Democratic Joint Action Front
First Democratic National Party
Independent List
Iraqi Constitutional Movement
Iraqi Constitutional Party
Iraqi National Congress
Tariq Abd al-Karim Al Shahd al-Budairi
Turkoman Decision Party
However, the INC withdrew from the alliance in November 2005 because of disagreements over some parties' calls for the creation of an Islamic state in Iraq.
Mr Chalabi formed an alliance that advocates a democratic, pluralistic, federal government.
He says there is a need to broaden the political process and offer Iraqis new options.
In addition to Mr Chalabi's party, the Iraqi National Congress List includes Sherif Ali Bin al-Hussein's Constitutional Monarchy party and two ministers in the transitional government.
It also includes former senior UIA member, Sheikh Fawaz al-Jarba.