AFP - Iraq's Shiite religious elite have refused to back any of the country's political factions in the run-up to elections next month, highlighting a stark political split in Iraq's majority community.

The lack of an endorsement from the Marjaia, four deeply-respected scholars who live in the holy city of Najaf, is in marked contrast to their stance in Iraq's last parliamentary elections in 2005, when they backed the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), the main Shiite bloc and the current ruling coalition.

That alliance has since split largely into two competing mostly-Shiite groupings -- incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), built around the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) and the bloc loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

The UIA's split has for the first time presented Iraq's Shiite voters, who make up around 60 percent of the country's population, with a serious choice between parties that purport to represent their community.

At the same time, however, it has made any religious stamp of approval for either bloc difficult, given the Iraqi religious elite's tradition of taking an advisory role, in contrast to the more active role in government for religious scholars in Iran.

"The Marjaia will not sponsor any lists, and it is for voters to choose which servant of the people will fulfill their aspirations and back stability and development," the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric and a member of the Marjaia, said in a statement last week.

"Voters must choose the candidate they believe is competent and able to serve the people."

Sistani also urged voters to turn out in large numbers for the polls, the second since dictator Saddam Hussein was ousted from power in the 2003 US-led invasion.

The lack of endorsement differs from 2005 -- in January of that year, the Marjaia, led by Sistani, played a leading role in creating the UIA ahead of elections to Iraq's constituent assembly.

That backing helped push through key decisions during the drafting of Iraq's constitution, notably that Islam was the official religion of the state and that no laws could conflict with Islam.

Later that year, during the country's first legislative elections, aides to Sistani made clear that he again backed the UIA.

In that vote, the UIA obtained 41 percent of the popular vote and 128 seats in the 275-seat parliament, helping bring to an end 80 years of Sunni dominance in Iraq.

Times have changed, however, and Maliki decided last year to split from the ruling coalition in order to run on his own list.

The division has put the Marjaia in a difficult position.

According to Hassan Hakim, professor of Islamic history at the University of Kufa, twin city of Najaf, Sistani has "always called for a united Shiite bloc, but this time he is dealing with a new reality."

His colleague at the University of Najaf Sattar al-Araji added that "the Marjaia will not compromise its spiritual leadership in order to get between the divisions of Shiite politicians."

In May 2006, Maliki, then just the leader of the small Dawa party, a member of the UIA, was chosen to be prime minister, beating current Vice-President Adel Abdel Mehdi by a single vote.

Since then, however, he has strengthened his position -- in provincial elections in January of last year, his allies ran under a State of Law banner and performed considerably better than other Shiite parties.

Despite calls from religious leaders both here and in neighbouring Iran for a united Shiite front, Maliki has reprised that bloc for the March 7 elections.

On the other side of the Shiite divide will be the INA.

Early indications are that Maliki holds pole position, with the premier's bloc set to claim 29.9 percent of the popular vote compared to 17.2 percent for the INA, according to a poll of 5,000 Iraqis conducted by the National Media Centre, a government agency.