Al Hakim Igc Will Invite Un Election

al-Hakim: IGC will Invite UN Election Commission to Iraq

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim met Thursday with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Najaf, and afterwards announced that the Interim Governing Council will write to Kofi Annan asking that the UN send a commission to Iraq to deal with election issues. Sistani wants the commission to make a determination as to whether Iraq can mount open elections by May 31. It seems to me he knows that the Americans will not allow this, but is trying to involve the UN as a lever to make the elections more representative than Paul Bremer now envisages.