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Marja`iyah voices approval of Iraq historic elections

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY NAJAF, Iraq: Al-Marja`iyah Ad-Diniyah, or the top religious authority, on Monday expressed strong approval of the conduct of the country's first multiparty elections in decades while early returns showed Monday United Iraqi Alliance ran strong in Sunday's elections.

All the four grand Marajay in holy Najaf namely Ayatullah Sayyed Ali As-Sistani, Ayatullah Ishaq Fayyaz, Ayatullah Hafiz Bashir An-Najafi and Ayatullah Sayyed Said Al-Hakim approved the historic polls in which turnout was unexpectedly high reaching to 72 percent.

Ayatullah Sistani's office issued a message late Sunday thanking Iraqis for taking part in the vote, a message amplified by one of his senior representatives in an interview on Monday.

“He thanked Iraqis, and I think that's a positive,” Muhammad Al-Habubi, the representative, said. “He thanked Iraqis for responding to the call of their country and helping to get out of this crisis.”

The Ayatullah dictated the timetable for elections. L. Paul Bremer III, the top civilian administrator in Iraq until June 2003, had initially pushed to have a constitution written before general elections took place. Ayatullah Sistani strongly objected, insisting on speedy elections for a constitutional assembly, which eventually forced the Americans to change their plans.

spokesman for and a son of Ayatullah Muhammad Said Al-Hakim, Alaadeen Muhammad Hakim, said that with the voting, “Iraqis proved that they're up to the responsibility, that despite living in very hard conditions and situation, they still live and hope for the future.”

“The mistakes that happened during the occupation did not bend the will of the Iraqis or their determination in building the future and protecting the national unity,” he added.

“The success of the elections lies in two things,” Hakim said. “One, the participation was large and broad. Everyone who decided to go to the polling centers was feeling defiant, was putting up a challenge. It shows the Iraqis are brave and seek responsibility for their country.”

“Second, those organizing the elections were Iraqi officials,” he added, which shows “the high potential of Iraqis.”

END