(AP) — The head of Iraq's electoral commission said Friday he expects more names will be added to a list of candidates who could be banned from running in March parliamentary elections because of suspected ties to former dictator Saddam Hussein.

The list, which could be released as early as Saturday, will likely include military men who carried forged documents and people with criminal records, Faraj al-Haidari told The Associated Press. The proposed ban has raised concerns among U.S. officials that such a move could undermine political stability and lead to an increase in violence ahead of the nationwide balloting March 7.

A leaked list with more than 500 names thought to be banned by a government-sanctioned committee over suspected ties to Saddam's Sunni-led regime was printed in Iraqi newspapers on Thursday.

Al-Haidari declined to confirm whether that list was authentic or to discuss the number of candidates who so far could potentially be banned from running, but he said the names include members of Iraq's various sects and ethnic groups. He says the number of Sunnis and Shiites is roughly equal.

"We informed the political parties of the names of those candidates that would be banned, and there are two choices for them: either replace the candidate or appeal to the court," al-Haidari said.

Reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites has been a priority for the U.S., which worries a flare-up between Baghdad's Shiite-dominated government and Sunnis who lost their political prominence following Saddam's 2003 fall could destabilize the country.

A ban could threaten to undo security gains, possibly jeopardizing a timetable set by President Barack Obama to withdraw all but 50,000 troops by Aug. 31, 2010. The remaining U.S. troops would leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

Vice President Joe Biden was expected to visit Baghdad soon, underscoring U.S. concern about rising political tensions.

Tensions between Sunni and Shiite politicians in Iraq have been on the rise following accusations by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that members of Saddam's banned Baath Party were to blame for a series of attacks since summer that targeted government sites in downtown Baghdad. Hundreds were killed and wounded in the explosions.

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