A new U.S. financed poll has found that more Iraqis still feel their country is heading in the wrong direction and that Iraq’s religious leaders would win elections if they were held today. The poll found that leaders of Iraq’s religious parties have emerged as the country’s most popular politicians and would win the largest share of votes if an election were held today. Meanwhile the U.S.-backed government of Allawi is losing serious ground. The Washington Post reports today on the poll conducted by the IRI. The Post reports the Bush administration is hoping the interim president, Iyad Allawi, a former CIA asset, wins the election but that appears unlikely faced with opposition from Iraq’s religious leaders. Less than half the country even supports Allawi serving in the national assembly. The poll found the most popular politician to be Abdel Aziz Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq — a group the U.S. claims is funded by Iran.