Egyptian Sunni cleric calls on all Iraqis to vote
13/1/2005 11:37
The Grand Imam of Egypt's Al Azhar mosque on Wednesday urged all Iraqis to
take part in the country's upcoming parliamentary elections slated for Jan. 30,
Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.
Mohamed Sayyed Tantwai made the
call during a meeting with former US democratic presidential candidate John
Kerry.
With the planned Iraqi elections less than three weeks away, violence
still persisted in the war-torn country where the US-Iraqi forces have been
struggling to bring a bloody insurgency under control.
A large number of
Iraqi groups, especially the minority Sunnis, have indicated they would not take
part in the elections, citing relentless violence or inadequate time for
preparation.
On Dec. 3, 2004, visiting interim Iraqi Defense Minister Hazim
Shaalan said in Cairo that Iraq had asked Egypt to persuade the Sunni sect in
Iraq to vote in the elections, but Egypt later denied it had taken up the
task.
Analysts believe a low turnout could damage the legitimacy of the
US-sanctioned elections, but Washington and the interim Iraqi government appear
determined to carry out them as planned.
Xinhua
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