BAGHDAD, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Iraq's Shiite spiritual leader Ali Sistani has insisted Saturday on the need to hold general elections to represent the Iraqi people in a National Council.
Iraqi's al-Sabah newspaper, with close links to the U.S.-led coalition forces in the country, quoted Sistani as telling members of the interim Iraqi Governing Council that elections must be held unless it proved "impossible to conduct a population census."
He urged that general elections be organized by a neutral party commissioned by the U.N. secretary general.
Sistani described some of the mechanisms mentioned in an agreement between the Governing Council and the U.S. occupation forces on handing over power to the Iraqis as "below the expected and aspired level to produce a real popular representation."
According to the agreement signed last month, a provisional bill would be issued to administer Iraq's affairs and an interim legislative council would be formed through appointments in every governate.
