Al-Sistani, believed to be in his mid-70s and with a heart ailment, has forced Washington at least twice since Saddam's ouster to modify or altogether abandon political plans for postwar Iraq so as to accommodate his demands for elections.
"Because of his repeated calls for election, he's become a symbol for all Iraqis," said Salama Khafaji, a prominent female Shiite politician and a candidate for the National Assembly in Sunday's election.
Al-Sistani left his native Iran in 1952 and has since resided in the Shiite holy city of Najaf south of Baghdad. He came to national prominence when he succeeded his mentor Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, who died in 1992. The mystery killing of a rival cleric, Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, in 1999 left him as Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric.
Al-Sistani rarely leaves his Najaf home, where he receives tribal leaders and dignitaries who come for advice on anything from politics to mundane personal matters. He grants no media interviews, but answers questions on religious matters on his Web site.
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