Iraq's Top Shiite Leaders Meet

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Top Shiite politicians met at a heavily fortified building on Tuesday to choose between conservative interim vice president Ibrahim al-Jaafari and secular Shiite Ahmad Chalabi as their candidate to be Iraq (news - web sites)'s next prime minister.


If they fail to reach a decision — and so far neither al-Jaafari nor Chalabi have shown any signs of backing down — leaders of the clergy-backed United Iraqi Alliance will hold a secret ballot later Tuesday to decide the issue, said alliance member Ali al-Hashim.


"We will do our best to select one today," he said.


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About two dozen top Shiite politicians were meeting at the Baghdad headquarters of the leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Shiite politicians have been negotiating to decide their candidate for days.


Chalabi spokesman Haidar al-Moussawi said Monday that the most powerful man in predominantly Shiite Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, met with interim Finance Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in the southern city of Najaf on Tuesday and gave his backing for whatever decision the alliance makes.

...I still can't believe this stuffed sausage is in a position to win. wtf?