IRAQ’S cleric-dominated Shia coalition last night confirmed the Islamist Ibrahim al-Jaafari as its choice for Prime Minister, after his secular rival, Ahmad Chalabi, dropped out of the race.

The head of the Islamic Dawa Party, 58, is now all but certain to lead the new government, amid concern over his links with Iran, where he spent a decade in exile. Iraq’s Sunnis view with alarm the elevation of parties backed by Tehran, and the trepidation is shared by some in Washington. Last week Hillary Clinton, the New York senator, visiting Baghdad, said that there were “grounds both for concern and for . . . vigilance” about Dr al-Jaafari’s Iranian connections.

Clearly irritated, the candidate — at present Iraq’s Vice-President — brushed aside the remark yesterday. “We are not at an American traffic light to be given a red or green signal. I am speaking on behalf of a collective decision. I will stop when the Iraqi people say to stop,” he said. “Hillary Clinton, as far as I know, does not represent any political decision or the American Administration and I don’t know why she said this. She knows nothing about the Iraqi situation.”

Dr al-Jaafari’s nomination was confirmed at a press conference in Baghdad, where Dr Chalabi, who had been under pressure from the coalition’s main parties to withdraw, said he was doing so to “preserve the unity of the alliance”.

The symbolism of the chosen location was unmistakable. The palatial riverside house used to belong to Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein’s Deputy Prime Minister, and was publicly looted of his favourite whisky, brandy and cigars two years ago.

Now it is the headquarters of Abdel Aziz Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and women visitors arrived yesterday in black hijabs, all the men were barefoot and the draped walls were adorned with pictures of Shia martyrs killed and exiled by Saddam.

Inside, Hussain Shahristani, an independent MP close to the coalition’s spiritual backer Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, said that Dr al-Jaafari had been selected because of his religious and political beliefs. “He was chosen because the religious atmosphere in Iraq pushes for an Islamist from the Islamic current,” the former nuclear scientist said. “It will take about two weeks to form the Cabinet and we in the United Iraqi Alliance (Shia List) have formed a committee that will lead the UIA in discussions with the other lists and Iraqis outside the lists whom we think must be represented in coming government.”

Dr al-Jaafari, a physician from the Shia holy city of Karbala, fled Iraq in March 1980 when Saddam cracked down on his party and killed its spiritual leader, Mohammed Baqr al-Sadr. Dr al-Jaafari slipped into Iran on foot and spent nine years there, before moving to London with his family.

Playing down anxieties over his Iranian links, one Western diplomat pointed out that many Shia exiles from Saddam’s Iraq had had little choice. “The only places you could go were Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Syria,” he said. “These countries had a history of turning Iraqi opposition figures over to Saddam Hussein when it suited them. So if you were going to stay out, you had only one place of safety, which was Iran.”

However, a US official indicated that the Kurds had worries about Dr al-Jaafari. “They have concerns about Iran.”

The Shias are expected to divide Cabinet positions between themselves and the Kurdish Alliance, the 75-seat block that yesterday gained two more seats from Kurdish Islamists. Most of the bargaining will be over federalism for the Kurds, the role of Islam in the constitution, how to involve the Sunnis, and who will occupy the key ministries.

AL-JAAFARI SAYS

On Iran “I’m Iraqi, I was born in Iraq. I was forced to leave Iraq. I left everything, I left my profession, I left my country, but I never forgot being Iraqi”

On Sunnis and minorities “We cannot imagine any government without sharing with our Kurdish and Sunni brothers and even non-Muslims . . . We will co-operate with them”

On Priorities “security issues, basic services and preparing for the constitution” On timetable for removal of US-led troops “This issue is not related to an absolute time, it’s directly related to the security situation on the ground, because even when the Multinational Forces are actually still here, large numbers of Iraqis are still facing danger, so pulling out these troops will expose the country to a greater danger.”

On Islam in the constitution “The official religion of Iraq is Islam. It is expected and very logical to mention it in the constitution.

On women “Our list contains 33 per cent of the candidates who are ladies. So I think we are jumping ahead in this. We strongly believe that ladies should take their role in society and in the political system.”

On fears of Islamist hegemony “The Iraqi community consists of different components, but we believe that dialogue should be open and inclusive for all these components and there should be no barriers between different parties.”

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