In Iraq, the Washington Post is reporting that a majority of Iraq’s U.S.-appointed Governing Council is rejecting a call by a leading Shiite cleric for direct elections. Instead the council is favoring the U.S. plan that would see a provisional government be elected through regional caucuses. The Post reports that if the Council ignores the call for direct elections Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, many Shiites may reject the provisional government as illegitimate.