A poll shows plurality of Iraqis would cast ballots for secular candidates, a result that could make an imperative shift in the political process which is now dominated by religious parties.

The public opinion poll of 4,570 Iraqis conducted by the government-sponsored National Media Center said that 42 percent of the poll's respondents preferred secular candidates, whereas 31 percent support religious parties, the center said Tuesday.

It also showed that 73 percent of the respondents, who were randomly selected from a range of faiths and ethnicity all over Iraq, intended to turnout for voting in the Jan. 31 provincial elections.

The poll found that 83 percent of the respondents are optimistic about the future of the country.

As for security atmosphere during the provincial elections, 83 percent of the respondent expressed that they feel safe enough to go to the polling stations to vote, the center added.

The poll may give a signal that Iraqis have shifted their choice from supporting religious parties, which many Iraqis blamed for the sectarian violence that has engulfed the country in the past years.

On Monday, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric called on Iraqis in a statement to "take part in the coming elections despite not being totally satisfied by previous electoral experience."

Sistani's statement stressed that he would not support any candidate and Iraqis must choose those candidates after thorough checks and examination to select those who will be members of the provincial councils, the statement said.

Iraqis are scheduled to vote on Jan. 31 to choose members of ruling councils in 14 provinces out of 18. More than 14,000 candidates are running for 444 council seats.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2009)