Iraq's top Shiite cleric calls for voting in upcoming elections
Top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called upon Iraqis to participate in the elections in large numbers and vote wisely.
Less than two weeks to the parliamentary elections, the highest religious authority in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, called Iraqis to vote in the upcoming early elections.
In the Sept. 29 statement, Sistani encouraged Iraqis to participate “consciously and responsibly in the upcoming elections,” calling the elections the safest way to take Iraq to a better future.
In contrast with the previous elections, this is a big development in Sistani's stance toward Iraqi politics.
Prior to the 2018 elections, Sistani had said, “Election is a right for citizens and there is nothing to oblige them to attend. The electoral process does not lead to satisfactory results unless several conditions are met.”
