Report: Sadrist bloc quitting Shiite coalition in parliament

Above: The major players -- Nuri al-Maliki (Prime Minister, Shiite), Tariq al-Hashemi (one of two Vice Presidents, Sunni), Moqtada al-Sadr ('fiery' anti-American cleric, Shiite), Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim (head of the largest Shiite coalition), Jalal Talabani (President of Iraq, Kurd, Qadiri Sufi sect of Sunnism), and Massoud Barzani (President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Naqshbandi Sufi sect of Sunnisim). The largest Sunni bloc recently returned to parliament after Mahmud Mashhadani was reinstated as speaker, but has withdrawn its cabinet ministers from Maliki's cabinet. Sadr's parliamentary bloc also returned recently to the legislature following a protest of the most recent bombing of the al-Askari shrine in Samarra, but also withdrew from the cabinet in April. Sadr recently announced a suspension of militia activies by his Mahdi Army following clashes in Karbala which left over 50 dead. Maliki recently announced a new coalition involving al-Hakim and Talabani, but noticeably lacking Sunnis. Not pictured is former Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, whose smaller Sunni bloc is boycotting cabinet meetings and has threatened to withdraw from government.

Sadr group to pull out of Iraq's ruling Shiite bloc

The movement of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said on Saturday it would withdraw from the Shiite bloc that leads the Iraqi government, in a new blow to the faltering political process...

The United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) initially comprised four key Shiite factions -- the Sadr group, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council of Iraq (SIIC), the Dawa party and the Fadhila party -- and held 130 of the 275 seats in parliament.

However, the number dropped to 115 when the Fadhila party pulled out in March.

The Sadr bloc has 32 seats in parliament.

Obeidi last week told AFP the Sadrists were considering withdrawing from the bloc because the SIIC and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa had formed another alliance with two Kurdish groups.

Read the rest at Yahoo News

Sadrists quit parliament

The Sadr bloc, a political force loyal to Iraq’s feared Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, on Saturday quit Premier Nuri Al Maliki’s governing Shia alliance, Arab broadcaster Al Arabiya reported citing Sadr leaders.

The move followed repeated threats from the Sadrists. The Shia leaders had said that they would walk out on the United Iraqi Alliance if their views on political matters were not considered.

Sadr members of parliament have decried the coalition’s ‘incompetence,’ according to the independent Voices of Iraq news agency.

The leaders also claim that some parties within the parliamentary coalition control all the Shia alliance’s decisions.

In April, six ministers of the movement resigned in protest at Al Maliki’s failure to provide a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops.

The United Iraqi Alliance has 128 seats in Iraq’s Council of Representatives, 30 of which are occupied by Sadrists.

Read the rest at Khaleej Times

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