Iraq’s top Shiite cleric says political blocs didn’t ask before making him arbiter of disputes

Top Iraq cleric says not consulted on referee role

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric was not consulted about an agreement between rival Shiite political groups that makes him and other high-ranking members of the religious hierarchy the final arbiter of their disputes, his office said Thursday.

An associate of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said the revered cleric’s office had no prior knowledge of the agreement that sets down conditions for unity between the Shiite political blocs, including the referee role for the marjaiya, the Shiite religious hierarchy.

The agreement has stoked fears that a union between two main Shiite blocs seeking to govern Iraq will further alienate a minority Sunni community already wary of the Shiite-dominated leadership and spark new violence.

“We were not consulted,” the official said. “The agreement was done among the two blocs and we had no knowledge about it before it was announced.”

He declined to comment on whether al-Sistani had accepted the role. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Al-Sistani frequently offers his counsel to senior politicians who privately seek his guidance and support but has shunned a more public role.

On Tuesday night, the country’s rival Shiite groups agreed to unite to form a coalition, making them front-runners to head the new government after March elections.

The conditions of the alliance, which leaves them just four seats shy of the majority needed to form a government, were set down in an 11-point agreement strictly dictating the behavior expected of any future premier.

The blocs were once part of the same governing coalition, but split over the policies of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and the document is testament to the lingering suspicions between the two groups, especially the premier and followers of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

“So far, the obstacles that once prevented this alliance have still yet to be resolved,” noted Baha al-Araji, a Sadrist lawmaker, in an interview with Al-Arabiya satellite channel late Wednesday.

While the need to bring in religious authorities reflects the deep distrust between the two rival blocs, it would also give an overtly religious character to any government formed by the coalition.

The provision only applies to the alliance, not officially to any new government. But if the Shiite alliance dominates the next government, clerics would potentially have a direct say in policy.

The provision would likely further alienate Iraq’s Sunni minority, which had been hoping the March election would boost their say in the country after the Sunni-backed Iraqiya list led by Ayad Allawi was the top vote-getter in the vote.

Besides the Sunnis, the agreement might also alienate Kurds and other factions, making it difficult to form an inclusive government for the fragmented country.