Sentence:  The Istiqlal <WSD>was</WSD> still firmly united in 1957 , but the P.D.I. ( Parti Democratique de l'Independance ) , the most important minor party at the time , objected to the Istiqlal 's predominance in the civil service and influence in Radio Maroc . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)