Sadr Links Election Participation to Militia Disarmament in Iraq
Muqtada al-Sadr reiterated his bloc will boycott Iraq’s Nov. 2025 elections unless militias are dismantled and power returned to the state, demanding reform, disarmament, and sovereignty. "Truth should not be compromised," he warned in a handwritten statement.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Influential Shiite cleric and leader of the National Shiite Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, reiterated on Friday that his political bloc will not participate in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections unless armed militias are dismantled and power is restored solely to the state.
In a handwritten message released on Friday, al-Sadr made clear his enduring conditions for participation, urging political actors to distance themselves from illegitimate armed groups. "Whoever is able should refrain from participating; whoever is unable should relinquish the reins of power," he wrote.
"Truth should not be compromised, and falsehood should not triumph," he continued. "Only through handing over weapons to the state, dismantling the militias, strengthening the army and police, guaranteeing sovereignty, and not allowing Iraq to be possessed or taken over, and by continuing to pursue reform and accountability of the corrupt, can the path be corrected."
In a concluding warning, Sadr ominously stated, "What has passed is greater," leaving analysts and observers speculating about potential implications for Iraq’s volatile political landscape.
Sadr’s latest statement echoes a prior declaration made on March 27, 2025, in which he renounced participation in Iraq’s future political process, criticizing it as a system beholden to "sectarian and partisan interests."
His continued political withdrawal underscores growing tensions between state institutions and armed factions operating outside government control. The demand for dismantling militias aligns with widespread domestic and international calls for the Iraqi state to reassert full sovereignty and curb the influence of paramilitary forces, some of which are affiliated with foreign powers.
The timing of Sadr's message is also significant, as Iraq prepares for nationwide parliamentary elections scheduled for November 11, 2025. The announcement of the election date was made by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office on April 9, 2025, following a majority vote by the Council of Ministers.
