Text of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani's reception Plasschaert
Najaf Ashraf – INA
The Iraqi News Agency (INA) publishes the text of the statement received by the supreme religious authority, Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani.
First: The parliamentary elections scheduled to take place next year are of great importance, and they must be provided with the necessary conditions that give their results a high degree of credibility, so that citizens are encouraged to participate in them widely. For this purpose, it must be conducted in accordance with a fair and equitable law, far from the private interests of some political blocs and parties, and integrity and transparency must be taken into account in the various stages of its conduct, and supervision and control over them in a serious manner in coordination with the relevant department in the United Nations mission.
Early elections are not a goal in and of themselves. Rather, they are the correct peaceful path out of the current impasse that the country suffers from as a result of the accumulation of its political, economic, security, health, service and other crises. It is imperative that the citizens have the opportunity to reconsider their political options and to vote freely and free from any pressure from here or there to their representatives in the next parliament, to be qualified to work towards solving problems and crises.
Further delay or holding elections without providing the necessary conditions for their success so that their results are not convincing to most citizens will deepen the country's problems and lead – God forbid – to a situation that threatens its unity and the future of its people, and all concerned parties who hold power will regret it at the time.
Second: The current government is called to continue and to proceed firmly and forcefully with the steps it has taken in order to implement social justice, control border crossings, improve the performance of security forces so that they are characterized by a high degree of discipline and professionalism, impose state prestige and withdraw unauthorized weapons, and not allow division Areas from the country to provinces controlled by certain groups by force of arms under different headings away from the application of the laws in force.
The government is also called upon to take serious and exceptional steps to combat corruption and to open major files in this regard according to legal procedures, far from any selectivity, so that every corrupt person receives his fair reward and regains the rights of the people regardless of his position and whoever are his supporters.
It is also required to work with all seriousness to uncover all those who have carried out criminal acts, including killing, wounding, or otherwise against protesters, security forces, or innocent citizens, or who have assaulted public or private property, since the start of the popular movement demanding reform last year, especially Those who carried out the kidnappings or were behind the recent assassinations.
Third: Preserving national sovereignty, preventing its breach and violation, standing against foreign interference in the country's affairs and keeping the dangers of fragmentation and division away from it is everyone's responsibility, and it requires a unified national position towards several thorny issues that affect the higher interests of the Iraqis, present and future, and it cannot be reached in light of the conflict of passions and devotion Beyond personal, partisan or regional interests, the various parties are required to rise to the level of national responsibility and not to forfeit any excuse for the country's sovereignty, stability, and independence of its political decision.