Iraq awaits UN nod on polls

Iraq's most influential Shi’ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is likely to drop his demand for early polls if the UN concludes they...

Iraq’s most influential Shi’ite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, is likely to drop his demand for early polls if the UN concludes they would not be feasible, a Shi’ite political leader said on Wednesday. The comments by the head of Iraq’s Shi’ite Dawa party were likely to be some comfort for coalition powers facing protests by Shi’ites demanding polls before a power handover.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is considering sending a team to Iraq at the request of the occupying powers and the Governing Council to study whether it would be possible to hold a national election in the next few months.

Originally a regional caucuses was to select a transitional Assembly by May end. The Assembly would pick an interim government that would become sovereign by June end. Elections would follow in 2005.

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But Sistani has insisted on direct polls to choose a sovereign government. Demonstrations have been held in several cities to back his demand. Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a member of the Governing Council and head of the Dawa party, said he believed Sistani would accept the findings of any UN team.

‘‘If there is a UN delegation that has a background in electoral and census matters, and has an open dialogue…one side may be convinced by what the other says,’’ Jaafari said. ‘‘Whatever the result, if it comes to an agreement, I believe Sayyid Sistani will accept.’’ Jaafari said there was agreement that direct polls were preferable. The question was if they were feasible now. Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said the occupying powers were also in favour of polls as soon as they could be held.

‘‘We have to work with respect for Sistani and other leaders…We want polls as soon as it is feasible,’’ he said.

‘‘A large part of this comes down to…technical issues,’’ he said, citing insecurity in parts of Iraq and the absence of electoral registers. ‘‘This needs to be discussed through.’’ A Saudi government statement issued after talks between de facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah and Washington’s Iraq debt envoy James Baker said Saudi Arabia was ready to discuss a major reduction of the $30 billion debt it is owed by Iraq.

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It did not specify how much of the debt, mostly incurred during Iraq’s 1980-88 war with Iran, might be cut. But it said Prince Abdullah told Baker he wanted to see ‘‘stability and prosperity’’ and a sovereign government in place.

Congressional sources and budget analysts said President George W. Bush may seek an additional $40 billion or more for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan next year — on top of the $400-billion military budget he will send to Congress next month. — (Reuters)