Grand Ayatollah Sistani's challenge to the US for true democracy in Iraq (MERGED)

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
41

U.N. chief: June elections in Iraq not possible

If al-Sistani keeps his word he shall except this finding by the U.N., I expect he will.
…

UNITED NATIONS - Agreeing with the United States, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday that he doesn’t think Iraqi legislative elections are possible by the June 30 handover of power set by the Bush administration.

Annan said elections are important but cannot be held by the end of June — despite demands by the country’s influential Shiite Muslim clergy.

The secretary-general also said the June 30 date the United States has set for a transfer of sovereignty “must be respected.”

"We need to find a mechanism to create a caretaker government and then prepare the elections later, sometime later in the future,” Annan said.

Annan is expected to detail his ideas for a transitional government at a later date.

The White House had asked the United Nations to come up with proposals for Iraq’s political future after Shiite leaders rejected the original U.S. plan, which called for caucuses.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani has called for direct elections, arguing that a government based on caucuses would be “illegitimate.” The United States has argued that security concerns and lack of preparations make quick elections impossible.

Bremer shows flexibility
U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer said earlier Thursday in Baghdad that the formula for establishing a new Iraqi government could be changed but the date for the U.S.-led coalition to hand over power remains firm.

“Changes are possible but the date holds,” Bremer told reporters, adding that there were “dozens” of methods for selecting a new government, including a redesigned “caucus” system or partial elections.

“There are literally dozens of ways to carry out this complicated task,” he said. “I invite your attention to how complicated it is.”

In Washington, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday that the Bush administration was prepared to drop the caucus plan and hand over power to an expanded Governing Council until elections can be held.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4312686/

42

Despite the military might of the American occupiers, Ayatollah Sistani and his followers cancel that out. :slight_smile:

[thumb=E]2327_7755769.JPG[/thumb]

Ayatollah ‘objected to Iraq plan’

Objections by Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to a draft agreement are understood to be behind the last-minute dispute that wrecked a planned ceremony on Friday. An elaborate event had been planned for the Iraqi Governing Council to mark a key point in the transfer of power. But five Shia Council members did not turn up and a rescheduled event is not expected until at least Monday. The objections are believed to focus on a clause allowing minorities to veto a permanent constitution as well as demands for more Shias in a future rotating presidency. Informal talks are believed to be scheduled during the weekend during which time the dissenting Council members are expected to seek the opinion of Ayatollah Sistani, the revered spiritual leader of Iraq’s majority Shia Muslims. He has caused difficulties for the US authorities before by calling for full elections rather than the coalition plan of a handover to a government chosen by regional caucuses.

Veto worry

A spokesman for the Iraqi Governing Council, whose leader Ahmad Chalabi was among those refusing to sign the draft on Friday, said the various parties would consult among themselves before another Council meeting on Monday. Entifadh Qanbar was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying that the views of Ayatollah Sistani would probably be sought. The Shia cleric is reported to have raised the key objections to the constitution which was agreed by the Council on Tuesday. The pens were ready, but not everyone wanted to sign

[thumb=E]2327_8391707.JPG[/thumb]

43

"Despite the military might of the American occupiers, Ayatollah Sistani and his followers cancel that out. "

Maybe…maybe not!

Iraq Constitution to Be Signed Unchanged
Mar 7, 9:31 AM (ET), By MATT MOORE

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Shiite politicians who delayed the signing of Iraq’s interim constitution said Sunday they will sign the document without any changes on Monday, despite the concerns of the country’s top Shiite cleric.

The agreement was reached after talks between members of Iraq’s Governing Council and the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani.

“Sistani has reservations, but it will not constitute an obstacle,” said Mohammed Hussein Bahr al-Ulloum, who helped coordinate the talks. “It will be signed as it was agreed upon before the governing council members.”

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040307/D815J4MO0.html

The signing of the Iraqi consititution would be a death knell to the goals of the terrorists! They’ll scrambe to detonate every bomb they have in their desperate quest for impact and relevance. Their attempts woud be laughable, if not for the human costs…

Peace To All Who Read This…

44

^
It’s a done deal. Sistani has reservations but the signing took place.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq’s Governing Council signed an interim constitution Monday after weeks of wrangling in a key step for the June 30 launch of a sovereign Iraqi government, but Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric sharply criticized the document.

Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who wields immense influence over the country’s 60 percent Shi’ite majority, said in a statement Monday the interim charter would make it harder for Iraq to agree on a permanent constitution, a foundation for democracy.

Sistani’s objections to the document forced the signing of the constitution to be abandoned at the last minute Friday when five Shi’ite council members backed out of the ceremony. After talks at the weekend with Sistani and other clerics in the holy city of Najaf they went ahead with the signing Monday.

The Shi’ite politicians said Sistani gave them the go-ahead to sign despite his objections because he did not want to seem to be blocking progress. But the cleric’s misgivings will make it harder for Iraq’s occupiers to win backing for their plans.

For the full story, http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4520445&pageNumber=0