Iraqi populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced on Monday his “definitive withdrawal” from the political scene in Iraq, in the face of the political crisis that the Arab country has been experiencing since the October 2021 elections.
I decided to stop intervening in political affairs. I announce my final withdrawal and the closure of all political institutions (of the Sadrist movement),” said the influential cleric and leader of the main party in Iraq.
Al-Sadr’s announcement comes just 48 hours after he called for the exclusion from the political scene of all the parties that have operated in Iraq since 2003, as a condition for overcoming the crisis that has been going on since the October elections.
Iraq: Al Sadr proposes the exclusion of all parties to overcome the crisis
However, it is unclear how this announcement by Al-Sadr will affect the political crisis, as his supporters stage a protest outside the Iraqi Parliament, challenging the political deadlock caused by the opposition.
Al-Sadr, who has accused political forces of “corruption” since the fall of former dictator Saddam Hussein in April 2003 after the US invasion, argued that “There would be no reform” if the current political movements, including yours, continued to exercise their activity.
Shia clerics camp supporters inside the Iraqi parliament
More important than dissolving parliament and holding (early) elections is not including all the parties and personalities that have participated in the political process since the US invasion in 2003,” the cleric said in a statement released on Saturday.
This, the clergyman explained, “in order not to include all […] be them party leaders, ministers or officials […]including the sadistic movementthis being “an alternative to other initiatives” to resolve the Iraqi crisis, “including the United Nations proposals.”
Al-Sadr expressed his willingness to sign an agreement containing this requirement “within a maximum period of 72 hours”, but this Monday he announced that he himself was withdrawing from any political intervention in Iraq, leaving the scene “definitely”.
Iraq has been experiencing a political crisis since the legislative elections in October 2021 gave victory to the Sadrista party, but with only 73 seats out of 329 in Parliament.
Al-Sadr’s party tried to ally with other parliamentary forces to elect the President and the Prime Minister, who would be in charge of forming a government, which turned out not to be possible, due to the blockade of Shiite opponents, close to the Iranian regime. .
Sadrist deputies resigned en bloc in June, but before the election of a president and prime minister proposed by the opposition, Al Sadr’s supporters occupied Parliament on July 30.
Hundreds of protesters again stormed the Iraqi parliament
The occupation lasted a week and, after an appeal from the cleric, the Sadrists withdrew from Parliament and camped in front of the building, demanding the dissolution of the House and new elections.
Source: Observadora
