Sadrist delegation meets KDP officials in Erbil amid government formation talks

“We discussed a number of topics, including the mutual understandings between the two sides for forming a national majority government, and the necessity of unifying efforts to save Iraq and provide a decent life for its people.”

The Sadrist Bloc Negotiating Committee in meeting with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials in Erbil, Jan. 3, 2022. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)
The Sadrist Bloc Negotiating Committee in meeting with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials in Erbil, Jan. 3, 2022. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The Sadrist Bloc Negotiating Committee led by Hassan al-Athari met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials in Erbil late Monday to discuss the formation of the next Iraqi government.

The Sadrist and KDP delegations discussed a number of files of mutual interest with the former affirming the need to start a new stage of serious work to serve all Iraqis, per a statement by the Sadrist delegation.

“We discussed a number of topics, including the mutual understandings between the two sides for forming a national majority government, and the necessity of unifying efforts to save Iraq and provide a decent life for its people,” the Sadrist Bloc Negotiating Committee said in a statement.

Read More: Shiite Coordination Framework delegation arrives in Erbil for government formation talks 

The KDP team's chief negotiator, Hoshyar Zebari, stressed the need to increase cooperation and coordination to speed up the government formation process, the Sadrist delegation's statement added.

Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Sadrist Movement came at the top of the October vote with 73 seats in the 329-seat legislature, has repeatedy stated that the new government must be a "national majority government" that is "neither eastern nor western," a phrase he has used to reject what he views as Iranian and US influence over the country's politics.

Read More: After Iraq's top court ratifies election results, Sadr calls for speedy government formation

The Sadrist Bloc Negotiating Committee in meeting with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials in Erbil, Jan. 3, 2022. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)
The Sadrist Bloc Negotiating Committee in meeting with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials in Erbil, Jan. 3, 2022. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)