Sistani meets U.N. officials in Najaf

NAJAF, Iraq, March 13 (UPI) -- Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani stressed the need for reconciliation and free and fair Iraqi elections in a meeting with senior U.N. officials.

Sistani met with head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, in Najaf to discuss the increased humanitarian and political activities UNAMI is overseeing in Iraq, the mission said in a statement.

Sistani spoke at length with de Mistura on the challenges Iraq continues to face on the political and reconciliation front.

The meeting focused on the importance of Iraqi national reconciliation and Sistani called for increased consultation between U.N. officials and his ruling council of clerics, the Marja'iya.

Sistani also stressed the need for the Iraqi people to conduct free and fair elections in the future that met international standards of transparency.