Council of Baghdad Notables
The Council of Baghdad Notables is not formally affiliated with any political organization or party; rather, it comprises a representative sampling from various segments within Iraqi society, according to its secretary-general, Shi'ite cleric Aqil al-Khatib. He told "Al-Dustur" in a February 2004 interview that his group is comprises three streams: tribal, academic, and clerical. He added that his group supports Shi'ite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani call for elections. Regarding federalism, the group supports whatever "the constitution decides." Al-Khatib said his group intends to put forth a candidate in national elections, adding: "We have personalities within our council who are qualified to join the government because they enjoy popular support."
The council held its first constituent congress on 2 January 2004 with 32 founding members. It formed 25 committees to coincide with the number of Iraqi ministries, with the intention of each committee to raise issues with the ministries to better meet the needs of the Iraqi people. It has viewed itself as a supervisory/advisory entity and intended to monitor the actions of the Governing Council.
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