UN Representative to Iraq in Najaf to meet Ayatollah Sistani

NAJAF / IraqiNews.com: The UN Representative to Iraq, Ed Melkert, arrived in the holy city of Najaf to meet the Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, according to a source accompanying him on Tuesday. “The UN Representative had arrived in Najaf to meet the Religious Authority Sayyed Ali al-Sistani, to discuss the crisis of forming the new Iraqi government,” he said. He added that Melkert would also confer with a number of leading Shiite clergymen, along with the Political Commission in charge of the Shiite Trend, led by the young Shiite Clergyman Muqtada al-Sadr. The Iraqi political arena is witnessing ever-increasing differences since the announcement of the results of the nationwide elections that took place last March. The differences had reached their climax between the two leading blocs that won the largest number of votes in those elections, Al-Iraqiya, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, and the State of Law, led by outgoing Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. The first scored 91 out of the new parliament’s 325 seats while the latter got 89 seats, claiming to form an alliance with other blocs that would enable it to form the new government. This move is opposed by Al-Iraqiya, who consider themselves the largest winner that deserves to form the government. SKH/SR 39