BAGHDAD, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- The UN Security Council should guarantee that general elections will be held in Iraq by the end of this year, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the top Iraqi Shiite cleric, demanded in a written statement released on Thursday.

    An unelected Iraqi government which will receive power at the end of June should focus on preparing for elections and avoid making decisions on other major issues, Sistani said.

    The statement represented a concession from the Shiite leader, who had earlier demanded that general elections be held before the June 30 transfer of power from the coalition forces.

    A UN delegation visited Iraq earlier this month to assess the feasibility of elections.

    In a report published on Feb. 23, the international body concluded that a "credible" vote could only be held at the end of the year at the earliest.

    A UN resolution should be passed to assure the Iraqi people thatthis issue would not be delayed again, the statement urged. Enditem