18 January 2004	Sunday	25 Ziqa'ad 1424

BAGHDAD, Jan 17: A United Nations mission is to arrive in Iraq shortly to study demands for rapid elections issued by a senior Shia leader, a Western official linked to the mission said on Saturday.

The UN mission will look into demands by Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani that the US-led administration abandon plans to hand over to an unelected provisional government in June in favour of nationwide polls, the official said.

"The UN has been approached by Ayatollah Sistani and now by the coalition to send a mission to evaluate the feasibility of holding general elections."

The official said the details of the mission would be thrashed out on Monday at talks in New York between UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Iraq's interim Governing Council and US overseer Paul Bremer.

One of the Governing Council members who will be taking part in the meeting is Abdul Aziz al Hakim, leader of the main Shia religious party, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Aziz Hakim's son and spokesman Mohsen made clear his father would use the talks to press Ayatollah Sistani's demands.

"Of course, he is going to explain and defend the progressive view held by Grand Ayatollah Sistani to hold free and countrywide elections," Hakim junior told reporters in Tehran.

He said the religious hierarchy was keen to hear the UN's assessment, but would insist on an approximation of democracy that gave the Shias the chance to flex their electoral weight even if the evaluation team ruled it was impossible to prepare normal polls.

"Grand Ayatollah Sistani said he would consider changing this position he has presented only if an expert group sent by the United Nations officially concludes, based on their field survey, that organizing free and nationwide elections in Iraq is not possible," said Mr Mohsen.

"If this is the case, then His Holiness will present another option that is close to organizing free elections.

"Based on the view of Iraqi and international experts, Iraq is capable of holding an election within the next six months."

Tens of thousands of Shias have rallied behind the reclusive ayatollah, who has emerged as a vocal thorn in the side of the US-led authority.-AFP