Al-Sadr arrives in Baghdad for final, decisive meeting with Shiite bloc ahead of government formation

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr arrived in Baghdad late on Wednesday to hold a final and decisive meeting with the Shiite political blocs ahead of the government formation. 

Driven by Hassan al-Athari, the head of his parliament's bloc, the populist political leader arrived in Baghdad to hold a final and decisive meeting with the Shiite political alliance known as the Shiite Coordination Framework, which includes prominent Iran-backed political leaders.

The first round of these meetings between Sadr and the Shiite Coordination Framework occurred in Najaf province, but no agreement was reached.

Ali al-Fatlawi, the leading member of Fatah Alliance, told local press on Thursday that Sadr has offered the interior ministry to Fatah Alliance, led by Hadi Al-Amiri, in return for excluding Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law from participating in the government. 

According to al-Fatlawi, the Shiite Coordination Framework rejected Sadr's offer and stuck to its stance of having all political parties under the Shiite Coordination Framework participate in the government. 

According to Kurdistan 24 sources, Sadr offered six ministries in the next Iraqi government to the Framework. Additionally, Sadr also offered them the right to veto Sadr's nominee for the prime minister's position. 

Al-Amiri's response to the offer was that the Framework would not participate in the government unless it is given the right to participate in choosing a candidate for the position of prime minister. 

Preconditions will be discussed, and a final decision will be taken during Thursday's meeting between Sadr and the Framework. 

On Tuesday, Sadr suggested that all political powers join his government aside from Maliki's State of Law. 

Maliki claims that foreign agendas aim to exclude him from participating in the next government. 

Sadr repeatedly accused al-Maliki, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2014, of spreading corruption and violence across the country.

On Tuesday, Sadr reaffirmed in a tweet that he is proceeding with the formation of the national majority government and that the door is still open for those who will support the formation of such a government. 

Political observers say that in this tweet, Sadr opened the door for all political parties under the Shiite Coordination Framework to join his majority government, except for Maliki's State of Law. 

The Sadrist Movement came first in the October elections with 73 seats, followed by the Progress Alliance with 37 seats, the State of Law alliance with 33 seats, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with 31 seats. 

Sadr endeavors to form a national majority government, while the rest of the Shiite political powers seek a traditional consensus government.