Iraq's top cleric says aides not to join campaigns

Iraq's top Shiite cleric on Saturday ordered his representatives across the country not to campaign for any blocs or candidates contesting the March 7 parliamentary elections, a move designed to assert the Iranian-born cleric's neutrality.

An official at the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said the cleric, who is highly revered by Iraq's Shiite majority, also decided not to receive any politicians till after the vote.

The official's comments coincided with a visit by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to Najaf, the holy Shiite city where al-Sistani is based. However, the official said the Shiite prime minister did not request a meeting with the …