The Iraqi capital and other big cities on Tuesday witnessed wide-scale demonstrations demanding direct elections in the war-torn country. 

"Yes for elections, no for appointing," cried the demonstrators, representing different sects, parties and political groups, in the second day of the rally.

The protesters were in opposition to a US plan on the schedule of the power transfer signed by US civil administrator for Iraq Paul Bremer and the interim Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) last November.

It stipulates that power should be transferred to Iraqis through a transitional council chosen by prominent figures in each of the 18 Iraqi governorates via indirect elections.

The transitional council will then elect an Iraqi government, which is more representative, and by the time the IGC will be dismissed.

Iraq's top Shiite Muslim leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani has repeatedly voiced his rejection to the plan.

Representatives of Iraq's Sunni Muslims also gave it a cold shoulder, insisting that the coalition forces should withdraw first so that Iraqis can choose their representatives freely.

The Body of Muslim Scholars, which represents the Sunnis, issued a statement Monday in which it accused some parties and political members of benefiting from dealing with the coalition forces.

It said that those political parties had gathered a lot of papers used in the proposed elections so as to control the results in case the elections are held.

The group said that it did not count on the elections or any other power transfer proposals as long as the occupation forces exist and the Iraqis are deprived of their rights.

The two-day-old demonstrations coincided with meetings of an IGC delegation and Bremer with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York on Monday which was dedicated to discussing Iraq's power transfer.

Observers said that direct elections were considered the best way for the Iraqis to practice their long-denied rights under the reign of Saddam Hussein.

People hope that democratic practices would replace the bloodshed and violence to build a new Iraq where all Iraqis enjoy equal rights, the observers said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 21, 2004)