Iraq's leading Sunni political party which boycotted last Sunday's elections is ready to take part in a national reconciliation dialogue called by the interim Iraqi government, the party's leader said on Saturday.

The Iraqi Islamic Party first fielded 275 candidates but latter announced to pull out of the race, saying democracy is not guaranteed under poor security.

"Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawy had called us a few days ago to put an agenda for a comprehensive dialogue with rival political, religious and ethnic groups," Muhsen Abdul Hamid told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in his Baghdad office.

Hamid described the national assembly to emerge from the elections as incomplete, saying that the polls took place without wide participation of Sunnis.

"We say it is incomplete as one third of the Iraqis could not vote, thus the assembly lacks legitimacy," Hamid said

He initially denied that his party would participate in the next government, saying "I do not think we would participate in the coming government, because it would not be logical to withdraw from the elections first and return to participate in the government later."

But he left the door open on the possibility of joining the new transitional government.

"We will study this issue, if we see it is in the interest of our country and its unity, we would do it," he added.

He said there should have been national dialogue in Iraq among all parties before the elections.

"However, it did not happen and we are ready to response to any political dialogue or movement that serves the future of Iraq," said Hamid.

He blamed other parties for rejecting the idea of postponing the elections.

"Postponing the elections would have given us a chance for dialogue and unity to hold comprehensive elections and reaching common ground, but this did not happen," he said.

He pointed out that the elections would not speed the withdrawal of the US forces from Iraq "because the Americans know that this assembly would not represent Iraqis comprehensively."

Source: Xinhua