Iraqi cleric's aide warns of chaos if vote delayed

Baghdad: A top aide to Iraq's Shiite spiritual leader is warning that a delay in the January parliamentary election could lead to chaos.

Sheik Abdul-Mahdi Al Karbalaie is the representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani in the holy city of Karbala, and he spoke Friday as part of his regular sermon.

Iraqi legislators missed a deadline last week to approve new election guidelines for the January vote. The delay has worried many observers, including the United States, who fear a delay could undermine Iraq's fragile stability and possibly affect the American troop withdrawal.

Al Karbalaie said during the sermon that if the election is delayed it could lead to a "political and constitutional vacuum" and "chaos."