Iran has been accused of interfering to impose its will on Iraq after it appears it was instrumental in a deal between Maliki and Muqtada al-Sadr which could hand Maliki a second term.
Maliki, who is currently in Iran visiting the President, would now have enough seats to form a government as long as the Kurds and the rest of the INA were willing to form a coalition with him. This development has angered Allawi, of the secular Iraqiya block, and also the US who see it as a sign that their influence in the region is dwindling. The Sadrists, named after the radical shia cleric, have opposed the American occupation of Iraq and up until now the Maliki government as he cracked down on their insurgency.
Allawi has claimed that Iraq will lose independence following this deal as Iran will try to improve its influence. America says it will distance itself from a government that includes the radical Sadrists. This development comes after Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon amidst what is seen as Iran's attempt to improve its standing in the region and become a dominant power. If it is true and a future Maliki led administration owed it's existence to Iran then the stability that the country craves may not be forthcoming.
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