Ayatollah Sistani's office denies having representative on constitutional reform committee

The office of Ayatollah al-Sistani has denied that the renowned source of emulation has a representative on a committee established by Iraqi PM Haydar al-Abadi’s to develop a constitutional reform plan.

The official website of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani has denied reports that the top Shi’a authority in Iraq has a representative on a committee established to develop a reform plan and amendments to the Iraqi constitution proposed by Iraqi Prime Minster Haydar al-Abadi.

The office also stressed that Ayatollah al-Sistani does not even have any information about the existence of such a committee.

The announcement came following some media reports indicating that former Minister for Youth and Sports, Jasim Muhammad Ja’far have said on Friday morning that there was contact between Prime Minister al-Abadi and Ayatollah al-Sistani’s office in Najaf.

During an alleged telephone call, it was reportedly agreed to establish a small committee consisting of a number of experts from the Prime Minister’s office and a representative of the renowned source of emulation. This committee would develop a package of reforms that became public on Sunday.

But according to Rasa News correspondent, the office of Ayatollah al-Sistani officially denied this report and said the office had no information about the formation of this committee or any other government reform committee and thus, Ayatollah al-Sistani did not have a representative present on this committee.

“The position of the Shi’ite authority was announced by the Friday prayers’ leader of Karbala, Sayyid Ahmad al-Safi in his sermon last week. He announced that it is necessity to make serious decisions to fight corruption in the country and to establish social justice but developing the details to implement the necessary measures in this regard is the duty of the Prime Minister and other officials in the country," the source added.

Iraq’s parliament unanimously passed Prime Minister al-Abadi’s anti-corruption and reform package on Tuesday.




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