Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr announces support for elections
Sadr's announcement comes a month after he called on his supporters to boycott the October elections.
Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he will participate in Iraq’s upcoming general election, walking back a decision last month to boycott the October poll.
Sadr announced the reversal during a televised address Friday, saying that participating in the elections was “now acceptable” as a means of putting an end to the Iraqi government’s rampant corruption.
"We will enter these elections with vigor and determination, in order to save Iraq from occupation and corruption," Sadr said.
Sadr commands the powerful Sairoon political bloc, which won the most seats in the last parliamentary election in 2018. Sadr himself doesn’t hold a position in the government, but wields significant influence in Iraqi politics. He is a fervent critic of both US and Iranian interference in Iraq.
