BAGHDAD — Iraq’s top Shiite cleric ordered his representatives across the country on Saturday not to campaign for any blocs or candidates contesting the March 7 parliamentary elections, a move designed to assert the Iranian-born cleric’s neutrality.
An official at the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said the cleric, highly revered by the Shiite majority, decided not to receive any politicians until after the vote.
The comments coincided with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s visit to Najaf, the holy Shiite city where al-Sistani is based. The official said the Shiite prime minister did not request a meeting with the cleric. Al-Maliki, who is seeking a second term, was campaigning in Najaf.
The official said al-Sistani wanted his representatives to ensure a big turnout for the election for a new, 325-seat legislature.
He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations followed by al-Sistani’s office.
Al-Sistani has quietly guided Iraq’s fledgling democracy since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003.
Last week, he urged voters to turn out but distanced himself from any particular coalition, saying people should give their support to the candidates they thought to be fit to serve the country.
Shiite leaders hold al-Sistani in high regard, partly out of respect for a spiritual leader but also for fear of a backlash from the Shiite majority. Thought to be in his early 80s but in relatively good health, al-Sistani rarely leaves his home but receives dozens of visitors daily.
