Maliki denies Sunni meeting

BAGHDAD, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- There were no contacts between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the leader of the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars of Iraq, statements said Monday.

Harith Sulayman al-Dhari, the leader of the AMSI, claimed he had met with the Shiite premier following the Iraqi elections. A statement from Maliki's office obtained by the Voices of Iraq news agency, however, denied such a meeting took place.

"The national unity government would not in any way have contact with those whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent Iraqi people," the statement said.

The AMSI was set up immediately in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. It is a supporter of the so-called Iraqi resistance, a militant opposition to the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

Meanwhile, in the Shiite community, the Grand Ayatollah Bashir al-Najafi called for support for the winners of the provincial elections Saturday, saying political and partisan skirmishes should not spoil the democratic expression of the Iraqi people.

Though voter turnout was high in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, the cleric said several people complained their names were not on voter registration lists.

His office said the grand ayatollah, believed to be the successor to the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, was unable to vote because of security restrictions.