Politics

Sadrists deny any 'political understanding' with rivals on government formation

Almost six months have passed since the October Iraqi parliamentary elections and efforts to form a new government have been fruitless

Kurdistan 24 2022/04/29 11:51

Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr take part in a campaign rally in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, May 4, 2018. (Photo: Karim Kadim/AP)

Iraq Iraq Government formation Sadrists Save the Homeland The Shiite Coordination Framework KDP Al Siyada

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A top Sadrist official on Thursday denied rumors that they have reached an agreement with their electoral rivals on government formation, according to a statement.

The statement comes as the deadline Sadrist leader Muqtada Al-Sadr gave his opponents in the Shiite Coordination Framework, a coalition of mostly Iranian-backed forces, to form a government nears.

Hassan Al Ethari, the head of the Sadrist parliamentary bloc, said that there hadn't been any "political understandings or meetings" with the Framework.

He described the allegations as "lies" in a statement, saying they are intended to destabilize the largest Shiite party's tripartite alliance with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Sunni Al Siyada (Sovereignty). The coalition has approximately 180 seats of the parliament's 329.

The Saving the Homeland will not be affected by such "nonsense and allegations", Al Ethari said.

Almost six months have passed since the October Iraqi parliamentary elections and efforts to form a new government have been fruitless as the two sides continue to disagree on the type of government Iraq should have.

The Framework favors another consensus-based government of the kind Iraq has consistently had since the toppling of the former Baathist regime in 2003. The Sadrist-led coalition, on the other hand, rallied for a majority government, arguing the consensus system creates corruption and mismanagement.

Both sides, however, agree the political deadlock cannot continue and are expected to resume talks following the post-Ramadan feast of Eid Al Fitr.