Iraqi political parties have been registering their candidates for the December 15 general elections after each of the three main Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish communities agreed on separate broad coalitions.
Leaders of the dominant Shi'ite United Iraqi Alliance were the latest to announce that they will stay unified. The two main Kurdish factions and three groups representing the minority Sunni community had each earlier said they will submit single candidate lists for the polls ahead of Friday's registration deadline.
The December elections will mark the third major phase in this year's political process, following the January poll forming the interim government and the October 15 constitutional referendum.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military in Iraq says roadside bombs killed two American soldiers in Baghdad and Ramadi, west of the capital, on Thursday.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
