Muqtada al-Sadr reverses decision to stay out of Iraqi elections
After his withdrawal from October elections due to public anger against the ministers of health and electricity — both loyal Sadrist officials — the head of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, decides to participate in the vote after all.
NAJAF, Iraq — Standing in front of dozens of his die-hard supporters, including leaders of his political movement, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced Aug. 27 that his forces will now take part in October parliamentary elections.
“We will run in the elections with a participation of millions,” Sadr said.
On July 15, Sadr withdrew from the elections, joining the protesters and other skeptics of the Oct. 10 vote who saw little value in the elections due to widespread corruption in the Iraqi state. His withdrawal came in conjunction with rising anger against his political movement over its control of the health and electricity ministries, which have come under tremendous fire due to the coronavirus pandemic and power shortages.
Sadr said he had received “a reliable reform document and a doorway to ending corruption.” The document was approved by the National Dialogue Conference held Aug. 25-26 in Baghdad.
