Iran Press/Middle East: Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most powerful religious authority, was a strong backer of early elections at the time, calling it the right and peaceful path to getting out of the political, economic, security, and health problems Iraq faces.
Ayatollah Al-Sistani said elections must be held away from external interferences and conducted in a reassuring atmosphere.
In a statement released by his office Wednesday, al-Sistani encouraged all eligible Iraqis to participate “consciously and responsibly in the upcoming elections, although it is not without some shortcomings.”
He said Iraqis must take advantage of this important opportunity to shape their country’s future and bring about a real change in the administration of the state and remove corrupt and incompetent hands.
“Make a good choice, otherwise the failures of the previous parliaments and the governments emanating from them will be repeated,” he said, in rare, blunt criticism of previous administrations.
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