Following the death of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), on August 16, the Shia party quickly rallied behind his son, Ammar, in a bid to maintain party unity as national elections approach.

Ammar, 38 years old, was chosen by ISCI to succeed his father on September 1 in a swift internal election, forestalling fears of a divisive leadership battle among party elders.

Ridha Jawad Taqi, a prominent Council leader told Niqash that “the council will continue to be united even after the death of al-Hakim.” He added that “it was through internal elections that Ammar was chosen.”

According to a source close to the Council, "leaders came to realize that any disagreement over power would generate a split." While the source said that there were some forces within the Council backing other figures such as Hammam Hammoudi and deputy president Adel Abdul-Mahdi these forces stood down in a bid to ensure party unity.

“The next phase will be dedicated for healing wounds and reuniting people after the death of al-Hakim,” said Iman al-Asadi, an ISCI parliamentarian. “It is too early to judge ISCI and to express fears about its disintegration because it is supported by the religious authorities who are keen to have it united as will be proved in the days ahead.”

Iran, a key ISCI supporter, was also quick to show its backing for Ammar. The country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was one of the first public leaders to back the son’s leadership.

Al-Hakim, who died in a Tehran hospital and was buried in Najaf, left behind a number of unresolved issues that pose a real challenge for the future of the party.

While some contentious matters such as the formation of a new Shiite election coalition were announced before his death, significant challenges remain. Most importantly, maintaining the structure of the ISCI, following a rapid decline in popularity in January’s provincial elections, will not be an easy task.

By keeping the leadership in the family - the party presidency has been exclusively controlled by the al-Hakim family ever since ISCI’s creation – there are hopes that stability will ensue, enabling the party to confront the challenge of reviving its national strength.

ISCI which has led the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) – recently renamed the National United Iraqi Alliance (NUIA) - for the last five years has been accused of continuing to embrace sectarian divisions even as a new post-sectarian nationalism spearheaded by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has emerged.

While the Sadrists have rejoined the NUIA, al-Maliki and his Dawa party have refused to participate in the list for upcoming elections. Al-Maliki has announced that he intends to form an independent coalition, the State of Law List, which will be composed of Shia and Sunni political forces.

But the issue of an alliance with al-Maliki is still possible say observers. During al-Hakim’s funeral service Ammar called upon al-Maliki to join the new coalition, keeping the door open for new dialogue with the Prime Minister.

Many observers say that the NUIA is desperate for al-Maliki to join the list, aware that without his participation their anticipated gains will be affected, particularly given the fact that al-Maliki’s State of Law List triumphed at their expense across the Shiite provinces in recent provincial elections.

In a press conference held after being chosen as leader, Ammar said that ISCI “will develop its institutions and correct its mistakes through committees specially formed for this purpose.” Ammar called on national forces to join the NUIA coalition in order to form a wide national front composed of all national blocs.

The new ISCI leadership has not yet taken a stand on the most controversial issue that has dogged it over the last year: its support for a federal state composed of the nine Shia provinces. This issue was used against ISCI in the provincial elections and was seen as one reason for its poor showing.