Marjaiyah pushes for big vote turnout, Iraq meet calls for full voting

By: Sultan Ahmed

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt: As Holy Najaf Marjaiyah has launched a massive get-out-the-vote campaign for Iraq's upcoming election an international conference on the political future of Iraq on Tuesday pressed the interim Iraqi government to make sure as many people as possible take part in January 30 polls.

Since a US-led coalition toppled Saddam's regime last year, Ayatullah Sayyed Ali As-Sistani has been a strong proponent of early, direct elections. He has met with all stratums and groups of society including Kurds and Christians encouraging them to vote.

The mosques' leaders are following the fatwa, or religious ruling, issued by Ayatullah Sistani in mid-October requiring every man and woman to vote.

A professor of political science at Baghdad University Jabber Habib said: “Without a fatwa from Sistani, it's difficult for people to participate in this election because of the threats and apathy about the future. But if we have a religious edict, that definitely has an important impact… With such a fatwa issued, I can't imagine anyone (shia) not voting.”

In a unanimous joint statement Tuesday, the United States, Europe, China, Japan and Arab and Middle East countries said that Baghdad should call together political groups and civil society leaders before the parliamentary elections “with a view to encouraging broader participation in the general elections.”

In speeches earlier in the day in the Red Sea resort of Sharm Ash-Sheikh conference which main purpose was to make sure the elections are held on time and with the widest possible participation, foreign ministers said full participation was the key to reconciliation in Iraq.

The ministers come both from governments which backed the US and British invasion of Iraq last year and from governments which warned that an invasion would be disastrous.

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