Yet Hezbollah in particular has begun to face notable challenges from independent Shiite candidates who say that movement has ignored important issues.

But the misimpression is widespread, and a source of bitterness for other Shiite candidates as well as non-Shiites.

But the Kurds, who have opposed the Shiite candidate for prime minister, were noticeably left out of the meeting.

There was little subtlety to this television commercial produced by the alliance, a megaslate of Shiite candidates expected to win the largest share of votes in Sunday's elections.

Two Shi'ite Muslim candidates had won in Gilgit.

The coalition left one seat free for a Shiite candidate from Hezbollah.

The idea of having Parliament vote for one of three Shiite candidates is being floated among the blocs opposing Mr. Jaafari's candidacy.

"Perhaps the majority of the members have connections with religious groups," Adnan Pachachi, a secular Sunni political leader, said of the Shiite candidates.

In the final harried days of campaigning, rivalries within the dominant Shiite conservative religious coalition could cause it to fracture, perhaps helping secular Shiite candidates.

Mr. Chalabi would have to persuade only a small number of Shiite candidates to leave the alliance in order to deprive it of the seats necessary to form a government.