BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission said Tuesday that 156 political parties have been approved to run candidates in the Jan. 30 general election.

They included the Iraqi National Accord party led by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and the new party of President Ghazi al-Yawer, called the Iraqis' Party, commission spokesman Farid Ayar said in a statement.

Ayar said 212 parties applied for certification but 56 were rejected for failing to meet criteria.

Also among those approved was the Iraqi Islamic Party, a Sunni group that had threatened to boycott the election to protest the U.S.-led offensive against Fallujah. The party later decided to participate.

Below is a list of the major political parties registered for the election and their leaders. Most already have a role on the provisional National Council established in September:

Assyrian Democratic Movement (Christian) - Yonadim Kanna
Constitutional Monarchy (Secular) - Al-Sharif Ali Bin Hussein
Hizbollah Iraq (Shi'ite Islamist) - Abdel Karim al-Muhamadawi
Independent Democratic Movement (Secular) - Adnan Pachachi
Iraqi Communist Party (Secular) - Hamid Majid Mousa
Iraqi Islamic Party (Sunni Islamist) - Mohsen Abdul Hamid
Iraqi National Accord (Secular) - Prime Minister Iyad Allawi
Iraqi National Congress (Secular) - Ahmed Chalabi
Iraqi National Gathering (Secular) - Hussein al-Jibouri
Iraqi National Turkmen Party (Turkmen) - Jamal Mohammed Wirdi
Islamic Action Organisation (Shi'ite Islamist) - Ibrahim al-Matiri
Islamic Dawa Party in Iraq (Shi'ite Islamist) - Vice President Ibrahim Jaafari
Islamic Dawa Party Iraq Organisation (Shi'ite Islamist) - Abdel Karim Anizi
Islamic Virtue Party (Shi'ite Islamist) - Nadim Issa Jabiri
Kurdistan Democratic Party (Kurdish) - Massoud Barazani
National Democratic Party (Secular) - Naseer Chaderji
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Kurdish) - Jalal al-Talabani
Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Shi'ite Islamist) - Abdel Aziz al-Hakim
Turkmen Islamic Union (Turkmen) - Abbas Hassan al-Bayati
Umma Party (Secular) - Saad Saleh Jabr zi
Islamic Virtue Party (Shi'ite Islamist) - Nadim Issa Jabiri
Kurdistan Democratic Party (Kurdish) - Massoud Barazani
National Democratic Party (Secular) - Naseer Chaderji
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Kurdish) - Jalal al-Talabani
Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Shi'ite Islamist) - Abdel Aziz al-Hakim
Turkmen Islamic Union (Turkmen) - Abbas Hassan al-Bayati
Umma Party (Secular) - Saad Saleh Jabr zi
Islamic Virtue Party (Shi'ite Islamist) - Nadim Issa Jabiri
Kurdistan Democratic Party (Kurdish) - Massoud Barazani
National Democratic Party (Secular) - Naseer Chaderji
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Kurdish) - Jalal al-Talabani
Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Shi'ite Islamist) - Abdel Aziz al-Hakim
Turkmen Islamic Union (Turkmen) - Abbas Hassan al-Bayati
Umma Party (Secular) - Saad Saleh Jabr zi
Islamic Virtue Party (Shi'ite Islamist) - Nadim Issa Jabiri
Kurdistan Democratic Party (Kurdish) - Massoud Barazani
National Democratic Party (Secular) - Naseer Chaderji
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Kurdish) - Jalal al-Talabani
Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Shi'ite Islamist) - Abdel Aziz al-Hakim
Turkmen Islamic Union (Turkmen) - Abbas Hassan al-Bayati
Umma Party (Secular) - Saad Saleh Jabr

AP, Reuters