“Participation in this election is a right of all citizens and there is nothing to compel him to exercise this right beside his conviction of what constitutes supreme public interest of his nation,” read the statement from Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Friday.
Holding an election is the “right and proper choice for the present and future of the country and it is necessary to avoid falling into the traps of one man rule and authoritarian rule,” he added, qualifying that it is the personal decision of each person whether or not they choose to cast a ballot.
The influential leader was pivotal in bringing Haider al-Abadi to power after the 2014 elections when he effectively blocked former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki from serving another term. The two Shiite politicians are running on separate lists in this election.
Sistani remained neutral, declining to back any candidate or party, but set out a number of traits that people should take into consideration when voting: competency, integrity, commitment to values and principles, distance from foreign agendas, respect for the rule of law, readiness to sacrifice for the sake of the country and the people, and the ability to implement a realistic program of solutions to Iraq’s problems.
He also warned against foreign intervention in the election – whether financial or other means – or sectarianism, expressing support for programs that are economic, education, and service based.
Sistani is the highest Shiite authority in Iraq and is revered by millions of Shiites around the world. He has kept the Iraqi religious authority, the marja’, insulated from Iran.
His fatwa (religious ruling) when ISIS was at the gates of Baghdad led to the creation of the Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary. Elements of the Hashd, however, are backed by Iran.
