Shia supreme leader in Iraq urges Maliki to step down

The supreme Shia cleric in Iraq, Ayatullah Ali Al-Sistani, implicitly urged prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki to resign from his post.

In a letter read by one of his aides on Friday in Karbala, Sistani said that political leaders should not cling to their posts, implicitly referring to Maliki who defies international and domestic calls to resign.

Sistani urged leaders to exhibit flexibility in order to end the state of political deadlock in the country.

Maliki’s critics accuse him of being a divisive figure, and hold him responsible for marginalising the Sunni minority and fueling sectarian strife, which led to the rise of extremist Sunni militants.

“It’s time for politicians to think about the interests of Iraq, rather than their own interests,” Sistani said.

Maliki has been serving as acting prime minister since April, after the end of his term. He rejects calls by Sunnis and Kurds for him to step down. Some Shia leaders also oppose his election for a third term.

Despite pressures from the US, UN and Iran, Iraqi politicians have failed to form a government that would unite Iraqis. The Iraqi parliament elected a Kurdish MP as president of the country on Thursday. The appointment of a new prime minister, however, remains elusive due to Maliki’s refusal to step down.