Outgoing Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on Sunday ruled out the possibility of an Islamic state in Iraq, despite the victory in last month's historic elections of a list backed by the country's Shiite clergy. "Iraq isn't ready to be governed by an Islamic regime," said Allawi. "There are still (secular) forces on the ground, even if the elections were clear in giving 140 seats to the Alliance's list," he said. The conservative United Iraqi Alliance list was blessed by Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and took a slim majority of seats in the new 275-member national assembly. "That proves the desire of the Iraqi people to choose such a party pending the next elections and the drawing up of the constitution," he said. Writing Iraq's new constitution is the main task faced by the assembly. It will then be put to a referendum, before fresh elections are held in December. "The next phase will decide the nature of the Iraqi regime," said the premier, a secular Shiite, whose list obtained 40 seats in parliament. Allawi reiterated his call for all political forces to be included in the transition process, in particular the Sunni Arab former elite, who were the election's big losers thanks to a widespread boycott. "Even if their participation in the next government is now impossible, that doesn't mean they can't be present in the other powers," he said. He warned against any of Iraq's ethnic or religious groups being distanced from power.