06 Mar 2004 16:01 UTC
Three Shi'ite members of the Iraqi Governing Council and representatives for two others met with the son of the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf, Saturday.
Following the meeting, Iraqi Governing Council president Mohammed Bahr al-Uloum said they were headed toward an agreement on the unresolved issues and that the interim constitution would be signed on Monday.
As the religious leader of 60 percent of Iraq's population, Ayatollah Sistani is playing an increasingly influential role in Iraqi politics, despite not having been seen publicly in years.
He has made various demands in recent weeks that have caused the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority to change details of its plans for the transfer of power to Iraqis at the end of June.
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Shi'ite Muslim members of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council have met with a representative of Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric to discuss last-minute problems that have delayed the signing of the country's interim constitution.
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They came to hear the influential cleric's objections to two clauses in the interim constitution which derailed the document's signing Friday in Baghdad. One clause has to do with the make-up of Iraq's presidency and the other with veto rights against a permanent constitution.
