Sistani to Stay Out of Iraq Election

Grand Ayatollah Sistani, one of the most revered Shiite clerics in Iraq, told Iraqis to vote their consciences in the election, refusing to endorse a party.

Sistani made his position clear through a Friday sermon by Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai in the holy city of Karbala, the BBC reported.

The marja (Sistani) enjoins Iraqis to participate massively in the forthcoming elections, but does not support any political group in particular, he said. It’s up to Iraqis to make their choice based on their beliefs.

In January’s election, Sistani backed the United Iraqi Alliance, helping it win a majority. The Alliance has joined other Shiite parties in a united bloc for the upcoming election, while two Kurdish parties and three Sunni parties have formed two more blocs.