Shiite leader warns of election rigging

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Shiite leader Abdelaziz al-Hakeem on Thursday warned of local election rigging, calling on the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to take all the required measures to foil any rigging attempts, according to a release by Hakeem as published on his web site. “The upcoming provincial election is very important as it draws the line between two stages,” the release quoted Hakeem, the head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), as addressing a crowd in Baghdad . “All the brothers and sisters should participate in the elections and resist all pressures that are aimed at preventing them from doing so,” he said . “Rigging is a parasite and represents the ugliest theft,” he added . MH (P) 1