ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said on Friday that the Sadrist Movement has not officially asked it to withdraw from the Iraqi parliament. This comes one day after the movement indirectly called on the Kurdish party to do so.
Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi, who introduces himself as Sadrist Movement Leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s “minister” and acts as a spokesperson for the movement, said in a statement on Thursday that they insist on the dissolution of the Iraqi parliament.
The Sadrist Movement, which was the winner of the October 2021 parliamentary elections, withdrew from the legislature in June after failing to reach an agreement with the rival Coordination Framework. The movement had struck a deal with Sunnis and the KDP.
Without mentioning their names, al-Iraq called on both the KDP and Sunnis to follow suit by withdrawing from the parliament to render it illegitimate.
KDP Spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed told reporters on Friday that they, Sadrists and Sunnis have not discussed their withdrawal from the parliament.
“We have a special committee which plays its role. Such topics should be addressed through meetings so that decisions are made unanimously,” he said.
He added that all parties should try to form a government as soon as possible.
Mohammed reiterated his party’s position that they are ready for snap elections, as requested by Sadr, “but with a consensus and its results should be accepted.”
Sadrists have held dozens of protests since the results of the vote were announced later in October. Recently, they stormed the parliament building and staged sit-ins there, and later they stormed the Republican Palace. The protests turned violent late last month after the Sadrist Movement’s militia group clashed with armed groups close to the Coordination Framework.
After about 24 hours of clashes, which killed over 30 people, Sadr ordered an end to the sit-ins and protests in Baghdad's high-security Green Zone and announced his “definitive retirement” from political life.
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