Iraqi Shia leader al-Sadr says will not take part in October vote
3 years, 5 months ago

Iraqi Shia leader al-Sadr says will not take part in October vote

Al Jazeera  

Muqtada al-Sadr says he is withdrawing support from the current government and the one that will be elected to replace it. Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr has announced he will not take part in Iraq’s upcoming election in October, saying he is withdrawing his support from the current government and the one that will be elected to replace it. Addressing the “great Iraqi people”, he said in a televised speech: “Do not sell your homeland at any price, it is more valuable than anything else.” Al-Sadr, a longtime adversary of the United States in Iraq who has also opposed Iranian influence in the country, has millions of followers in Iraq and controls a large paramilitary group. ‘Satanic regional scheme’ Al-Sadr said he was “withdrawing his hand from those who belong to this current government and the following one”. “He’s done it almost every time, as he tries to separate himself personally from politics and the political system which many Iraqis see is riddled with corruption and mismanagement,” Mansour told Al Jazeera.

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History of this topic

Voter apathy and concerns about violence mark Iraqi's first provincial elections in a decade
1 year ago

Voter apathy and concerns about violence mark Iraqi's first provincial elections in a decade

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Iraqis began voting for the …

Iraqi parliament approves new Cabinet in long-awaited vote
2 years, 1 month ago

Iraqi parliament approves new Cabinet in long-awaited vote

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament gave its vote of confidence to a new Cabinet on Thursday, breaking a yearlong political stalemate. On Oct. 13, Iraqi lawmakers elected former minister Abdul Latif Rashid president, following a barrage of rocket attacks earlier in the day, in a first step toward naming a new government. “I expect that street protests will begin if this …

Iraq’s parliament approves new government
2 years, 1 month ago

Iraq’s parliament approves new government

Al Jazeera  

After more than a year of political deadlock, Iraq will be ushering in a new government led by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, 52, who previously served as Iraq’s human rights minister as well as minister of labour and social affairs, will head the new government. “The government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has obtained the …

Muqtada al-Sadr and Iraq’s propensity for an intra-Shia conflict
2 years, 3 months ago

Muqtada al-Sadr and Iraq’s propensity for an intra-Shia conflict

Al Jazeera  

Before Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s call for an end to the violence, many analysts feared Iraq was headed to a possible civil war. “Both sides tried to gain or hold onto territory in and around the Green Zone and targeted each other’s office,” he added, explaining that al-Sadr’s Saray al-Salam and the rival Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi appeared to have …

Sadr supporters still demand change in Iraq after deadly violence
2 years, 3 months ago

Sadr supporters still demand change in Iraq after deadly violence

Al Jazeera  

Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr spoke to Al Jazeera, and emphasised their continued support for the religious leader. A day after the Iraqi Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr told his supporters to leave their protest sites in Baghdad’s Green Zone, calm has returned to the Iraqi capital. We are demanding the wholesale radical change of the corrupt politicians, and replace it …

Clashes erupt after Iraqi Shiite cleric resigns, 15 dead
2 years, 3 months ago

Clashes erupt after Iraqi Shiite cleric resigns, 15 dead

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — An influential Shiite cleric announced Monday that he would resign from Iraqi politics, prompting hundreds of his angry followers to storm the government palace and sparking clashes with security forces. During Monday’s clashes, Saraya Salam, a militia aligned with al-Sadr gathered in the capital’s Tahrir Square to “protect” protesters, one of its commanders said. Iraq’s military swiftly called …

Explained | Iraq's violent clashes and the political unstability
2 years, 3 months ago

Explained | Iraq's violent clashes and the political unstability

India TV News  

Iraq clashes explained: At least 30 people were killed and 400 were injured in Iraq's capital Baghdad in clashes between Shia militias and Iraqi security forces after Muqtada al-Sadr said he was withdrawing from politics. Image Source : APFollowers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gather during an open-air Friday prayers at Grand Festivities Square within the Green Zone, in Baghdad …

Timeline: What led to the fighting in Iraq’s capital Baghdad
2 years, 3 months ago

Timeline: What led to the fighting in Iraq’s capital Baghdad

Al Jazeera  

Latest violence started and ended after comments from Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential voice in Iraq for 20 years. February 2020 to July 2021 Significant protests continued across Iraq, with al-Sadr’s supporters at times clashing with other protesters, notably in the holy city of Najaf in February 2020. June 16, 2022 Al-Sadr announced that he would “not participate …

Analysis: Is Muqtada al-Sadr’s retirement announcement a tactic?
2 years, 3 months ago

Analysis: Is Muqtada al-Sadr’s retirement announcement a tactic?

Al Jazeera  

When the Shia spiritual leader Ayatollah Kadhim al-Haeri announced last week that he would step down as a religious authority, Muqtada al-Sadr realised that he was facing a challenge to his own standing within the Shia community in Iraq. Following the announcement, al-Sadr’s supporters, who largely come from the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, roamed Baghdad and entered the presidential …

Iraqi cleric’s loyalists heed his call to abandon protests after clashes kill 30
2 years, 3 months ago

Iraqi cleric’s loyalists heed his call to abandon protests after clashes kill 30

LA Times  

Iraqi security forces fire tear gas at the followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr inside the government palace in Baghdad. Following two days of deadly unrest that sparked fears of instability spreading throughout Iraq and even the region, cleric Muqtada Sadr told his supporters to leave the government quarter where they had rallied. A day later, on Tuesday, Sadr’s supporters …

Clashes erupt after Iraqi Shia cleric Sadr announces resignation, at least 3 dead
2 years, 3 months ago

Clashes erupt after Iraqi Shia cleric Sadr announces resignation, at least 3 dead

The Hindu  

An influential Shia cleric announced on August 29 he would resign from Iraqi politics, prompting hundreds of his angry followers to storm the government palace and sparking violent clashes with security forces in which at least three protesters were killed. It called on the cleric’s supporters to withdraw immediately from the heavily fortified government zone and to practice self-restraint “to …

Rival Iraq protests underscore inter-Shiite power struggle
2 years, 4 months ago

Rival Iraq protests underscore inter-Shiite power struggle

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Supporters of Iran-backed Shiite groups rallied in Baghdad on Friday to denounce their rivals, followers of an influential Shiite cleric who stormed the parliament last month and have since been holding a sit-in outside the assembly building in the Iraqi capital. Unlike Iran-backed groups, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr wants better ties with Arab countries, including Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, …

Rival Shia groups square off over Iraq leadership vacuum
2 years, 4 months ago

Rival Shia groups square off over Iraq leadership vacuum

Al Jazeera  

Thousands of Moqtada al-Sadr’s followers prayed outside parliament in a show of support for the populist leader who has called on the judiciary to dissolve parliament by the end of next week. Rival Iraqi factions took to the streets of Baghdad to call for a new government with supporters of religious scholar Moqtada al-Sadr demanding early elections and his Iran-backed …

Furore, indifference, confusion: Voices beyond the Iraq protests
2 years, 4 months ago

Furore, indifference, confusion: Voices beyond the Iraq protests

Al Jazeera  

Many Iraqis who joined anti-gov’t demonstrations in 2019 are either against or indifferent towards this bout of protests. “They are now trying to go into the Green Zone – looks familiar?” the 33-year-old texted his friends on July 27 as he saw huge crowds of protesters trying to pull down the concrete walls around the heavily fortified area in the …

Thousands of al-Sadr supporters gather for mass prayer in Baghdad
2 years, 4 months ago

Thousands of al-Sadr supporters gather for mass prayer in Baghdad

Al Jazeera  

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have participated in a mass prayer in Baghdad called for by influential Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, a highly symbolic move amid an unprecedented political crisis roiling Iraq. The mass prayer appeal followed his demand for early elections, which Iraq’s rival political bloc – the pro-Iran Coordination Framework -says it is conditionally open to despite the …

Iraqi cleric calls for dissolution of parliament, early vote
2 years, 4 months ago

Iraqi cleric calls for dissolution of parliament, early vote

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr told followers Wednesday to continue their sit-in inside Iraq’s government zone, and called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections, signaling a deepening power struggle with his rivals. Speaking for the first time since thousands of his followers stormed the parliament building in Baghdad on Saturday, al-Sadr said the “revolutionaries” must stay …

Iraq’s al-Sadr demands dissolution of parliament, early elections
2 years, 4 months ago

Iraq’s al-Sadr demands dissolution of parliament, early elections

Al Jazeera  

Iraq’s Muqtada al-Sadr orders supporters to continue sit-in inside the national parliament and calls for new elections to be held. Iraqi populist Muslim scholar Muqtada al-Sadr has urged his supporters to continue their sit-in inside the national parliament in Baghdad until his demands, which include the dissolution of parliament and early elections, are met. Thousands of al-Sadr’s followers stormed Baghdad’s …

Who is Muqtada al-Sadr, powerful Shia cleric whose supporters have thrown Iraq into turmoil?
2 years, 4 months ago

Who is Muqtada al-Sadr, powerful Shia cleric whose supporters have thrown Iraq into turmoil?

Firstpost  

Muqtada al-Sadr is a mercurial figure who has emerged as a powerful force in Iraq’s cutthroat political scene with a nationalist, anti-Iran agenda. He is the son of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Muhammad-Sadiq al-Sadr, who Saddam Hussein had assassinated in 1999 Iraq is in turmoil with hundreds of followers of influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Sunday camping inside the …

What’s behind Iraq’s explosive political crisis?
2 years, 4 months ago

What’s behind Iraq’s explosive political crisis?

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story first appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. While Sadr’s supporters are rallying against the nomination of a new prime minister, these protests also represent a deep political rift festering between Iraq’s rival Shiite blocs and the influential hand that analysts say Iran …

Hundreds of protesters camp at Iraq parliament for a second day
2 years, 4 months ago

Hundreds of protesters camp at Iraq parliament for a second day

Al Jazeera  

Supporters of Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr erect tents and prepare for a long sit-in to protest against efforts by his rivals to form a government. Supporters of powerful Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr have erected tents and are preparing for a long sit-in at Iraq’s parliament, deepening a months-long political standoff. Supporters of al-Sadr, who once led a militia against …

Explained: Why did protesters storm Iraq’s Parliament?
2 years, 4 months ago

Explained: Why did protesters storm Iraq’s Parliament?

Firstpost  

Iraq held elections in October last year but has been unable to form a government yet. After a pro-Iran politician was nominated to be Iraq’s new prime minister, followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the Parliament Baghdad: The followers of the influential populist Shiite cleric came by the thousands to storm Iraq’s Parliament. Mass mobilisation and control is …

Iraq’s political chaos: Why did protesters storm the parliament?
2 years, 4 months ago

Iraq’s political chaos: Why did protesters storm the parliament?

Al Jazeera  

Iraq has been unable to form a government since it held parliamentary elections in October last year. After a strong showing, al-Sadr repeated his commitment to form a “national majority government” representing different sects and ethnicities, such as Sunni Muslims and Kurds, but essentially sidelining the Shia Coordination Framework, which includes an old foe, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. After …

Iraqi protesters break into parliament denouncing the nomination of new premier
2 years, 4 months ago

Iraqi protesters break into parliament denouncing the nomination of new premier

CNN  

Baghdad, Iraq CNN — Hundreds of angry protesters loyal to the powerful cleric Muqtada al-Sadr broke into Baghdad’s heavily protected Green Zone on Wednesday, denouncing the nomination of a new prime minister. Iraq has struggled to form a new government since parliamentary elections in October; Sadr’s own attempts to form a government have previously foundered amid opposition from rival blocs. …

Iraqi Shia leader al-Sadr withdraws from political process
2 years, 6 months ago

Iraqi Shia leader al-Sadr withdraws from political process

Al Jazeera  

Muqtada al-Sadr says he ‘will not participate in the next elections if the corrupt participate’. Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr said he has decided to withdraw from the political process to avoid involvement with “corrupt” politicians, the state news agency reported. It was a huge gamble by al-Sadr, one of the most influential politicians in Iraq with a large street …

Sadrists quit Iraq’s parliament, but al-Sadr isn’t going away
2 years, 6 months ago

Sadrists quit Iraq’s parliament, but al-Sadr isn’t going away

Al Jazeera  

The Sadrist bloc’s resignation from parliament throws up a number of scenarios, including new elections in Iraq. Baghdad, Iraq – After nearly eight months of the Iraqi parliament’s repeated failure to form a government, influential Shia religious leader – and the biggest winner of Iraq’s October parliamentary elections – Muqtada al-Sadr decided enough was enough. “Don’t expect a government formed …

Lawmakers from Iraq’s biggest bloc resign amid impasse
2 years, 6 months ago

Lawmakers from Iraq’s biggest bloc resign amid impasse

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Dozens of lawmakers who make up the biggest bloc in Iraq’s parliament resigned on Sunday amid a prolonged political impasse, plunging the divided nation into political uncertainty. The 73 lawmakers from powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc submitted their resignation based on his request, to protest a persisting political deadlock eight months after general elections were held. The …

Iraqi MPs from Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc resign
2 years, 6 months ago

Iraqi MPs from Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc resign

Al Jazeera  

Al-Sadr had urged the lawmakers from his bloc to resign in order to create space for the establishment of a new government. Iraqi lawmakers from firebrand Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc resigned on Sunday, the parliamentary speaker said, a move ostensibly designed to end eight months of political paralysis. “We have reluctantly accepted the requests of our brothers and sisters, …

No way out as Iraq’s dangerous post-election impasse deepens
2 years, 6 months ago

No way out as Iraq’s dangerous post-election impasse deepens

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Eight months after national elections, Iraq still doesn’t have a government and there seems to be no clear way out of the dangerous deadlock. The U.N. envoy for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, warned Iraqi political leaders last month that “the streets are about to boil over” and said national interests were “taking a backseat to short-sighted considerations of control …

Chaotic scenes as Iraq’s new parliament holds first session
2 years, 11 months ago

Chaotic scenes as Iraq’s new parliament holds first session

Al Jazeera  

The speaker selection process was disrupted as competing political blocs claimed to hold a parliamentary majority. Iraq’s new parliament has re-elected its speaker for a second term, the first step towards forming a new government after a general election whose results have been contested by powerful Iran-backed factions. Parliament has 30 days from the first session to elect the country’s …

Iraq’s supreme court ratifies contested election results
2 years, 11 months ago

Iraq’s supreme court ratifies contested election results

CNN  

CNN — Iraq’s Supreme Court has ratified the results of October’s parliamentary election, dealing a blow to Iran-backed factions who have staged protests against the outcome of the vote. The election was called several months early in an attempt to bring some stability to the nation, rocked by mass anti-corruption protests in 2019 that toppled the government of former Prime …

Moqtada al-Sadr | The kingmaker of Iraq
3 years ago

Moqtada al-Sadr | The kingmaker of Iraq

The Hindu  

He was once seen as one of the most dangerous militia leaders in the U.S.-occupied Iraq. When results of the October parliamentary elections were formally announced earlier this week by Iraq’s Independent High Elections Commission, Moqtada al-Sadr’s political bloc, the Sadrist Movement, won 73 seats out of 329. In an interview with CBS immediately after the U.S. invasion, Mr. Sadr …

Iraq announces final results of October parliament election
3 years ago

Iraq announces final results of October parliament election

Al Jazeera  

Final election results confirm victory for Muqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Shia leader, whose political bloc the Sadrist Movement won a total of 73 out of 329 seats. Baghdad, Iraq – The political bloc led by Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr was confirmed the winner of the October parliamentary election. Iraq’s independent election commission announced the final results on Tuesday following weeks …

What’s next for Iraq’s powerful leader Muqtada al-Sadr?
3 years, 2 months ago

What’s next for Iraq’s powerful leader Muqtada al-Sadr?

Al Jazeera  

Violence erupted for a second day in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, after Muqtada al-Sadr’s sudden resignation from politics catapulted the country into chaos. Although he has never directly been in government, al-Sadr remains one of Iraq’s most influential political figures and has a large grassroots following. However, just as he was able to upend the capital with his initial statement, …

Iraq Elections: Shia Nationalism, Iran Factor, Low Turnout & Scam Allegations
3 years, 2 months ago

Iraq Elections: Shia Nationalism, Iran Factor, Low Turnout & Scam Allegations

The Quint  

The Sadrist Movement is an Islamic movement that enjoys popular support across Iraq's Shia population. In a speech on Monday, 11 October, al-Sadr said that "it’s time for the people to live without occupation, wars, militias, terrorism, kidnappers and fear-mongering,” The Washington Post reported. What also distinguishes Muqtada al-Sadr's movement from other Shia parties that contested the election is that …

Partial results show pro-Iran groups losing Iraq election
3 years, 2 months ago

Partial results show pro-Iran groups losing Iraq election

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — An alliance of Iraqi candidates representing Shiite militias supported by neighboring Iran has emerged as the biggest loser in the country’s national elections, according to partial results released Monday. The results, posted online successively, also showed the bloc of Iraq’s populist Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr maintaining the most seats in parliament, leading in several of Iraq’s 18 provinces, …

Muqtada al-Sadr set to win Iraq vote, former PM al-Maliki second
3 years, 2 months ago

Muqtada al-Sadr set to win Iraq vote, former PM al-Maliki second

Al Jazeera  

Initial results amid record low turnout suggest that the grievances that drove people to the streets in 2019 are unlikely to be addressed. Shia Muslim religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s party is set to be the biggest winner in Iraq’s parliamentary election, increasing the number of seats he holds, according to initial results, officials and a spokesperson for the Sadrist Movement. …

Vote count underway in Iraq after record low turnout
3 years, 2 months ago

Vote count underway in Iraq after record low turnout

Al Jazeera  

Preliminary turnout for the fifth election since the 2003 US invasion was at 41 percent. Vote counting is under way in Iraq on Monday, a day after a record low turnout in a parliamentary election that reflects what many Iraqis said was a loss of faith in the country’s democratic process and political class. Turnout in Iraq’s election fell amid …

Iraqis cast ballots hoping for change few expect to happen
3 years, 2 months ago

Iraqis cast ballots hoping for change few expect to happen

The Hindu  

Iraqis cast ballots on Sunday for a new parliament in a vote boycotted by many of the young activists who thronged the streets two years earlier calling for an end to corruption and mismanagement. “Get out and vote, and change your reality for the sake of Iraq and your future,” said al-Kadhimi, repeating the phrase get out' three times after …

Infographic: All you need to know about Iraq’s election
3 years, 2 months ago

Infographic: All you need to know about Iraq’s election

Al Jazeera  

Some 25 million people are registered to vote in Iraq’s fifth parliamentary election since the 2003 US-led invasion. Main contenders: Here are the main groups competing in this year’s vote: The Sadrist Movement Shia Muslim scholar Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sadrist Movement is widely expected to emerge as parliament’s biggest faction. Iran-aligned Shia groups Fateh Alliance Led by militia commanders who have …

Caught between US and Iran, Iraqis face choices in elections
3 years, 2 months ago

Caught between US and Iran, Iraqis face choices in elections

Al Jazeera  

The US and Iran have long been using Iraq as a proxy in competing for regional interests. “Iran-aligned groups’ reputation has been tainted because many Iraqis hold them responsible for violence against peaceful protesters, do not approve of their dragging Iraq into confrontation with the United States, and see them as part of a corrupt system,” said Sarhang Hamasaeed, director …

‘Dominate the system’: Iraqis wary vote won’t change old guard
3 years, 2 months ago

‘Dominate the system’: Iraqis wary vote won’t change old guard

Al Jazeera  

An early election emerged as one of the central demands from the bloody protests that swept across Baghdad and Iraq’s southern region in 2019. “I don’t think anyone in the government is going to fix this country, so there is no point in me voting.” The same power groups that benefitted from the post-2003 muhasasa system, the ethno-sectarian power-sharing arrangement …

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