Al-Sadr’s Office Denied Cooperation With US Over Iraq’s Parliamentary Election

On May 23, the office of the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who had gained 54 out of 329 seats in the Iraq’s parliamentary election, rejected media reports that had stressed the contacts with the US sponsoring an electoral list of the al-Sadr’s Sairoun coalition, Iraqi News reported.

The director of Sadr’s office Diaa al-Assadi “categorically denied” media reports that the US had been in contact with the Sairoun coalition list:

“There are no channels of communication with the Americans…they do send us mediators but we refuse to sit down or cooperate with them even through those intermediaries.”

On May 22, al-Assadi pointed out that Washington had used intermediaries to initiate negotiations with the Sairoon alliance, Reuters reported.

“They asked what the position of the Sadrist movement will be when they come to power. Are they going to reinvent or invoke the Mahdi Army or reemploy them? Are they going to attack American forces in Iraq.”

On May 22, a spokeswoman for the US State Department Heather Nauret stated that Washington would “work with whoever the Iraqi Government”:

“We will work with whoever the Iraqi Government and the people of Iraq decide to elect into its government. We’ve had a long, good – longstanding, good relationship with the Government of Iraq and we will continue to have a good relationship with them.”

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On May 19, the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s alliance with communists won in Iraq’s parliamentary election, gaining 54 out of 329 seats in the parliament.

• The Fatah Coalition led by a member of the Iraqi parliament Hadi al-Amiri, held the second place earning 47 seats.
• Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s Victory Alliance trailed in third position, obtaining 42 seats.
• The State of Law Coalition gained 25 seats followed by the National Alliance with 21 seats.
• Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with 25 seats. National Wisdom Movement earned 19 seats.
•  National Wisdom Trend of President of the Islamic Supreme Council Amar al-Hakim gained 19 seats.
• Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) gained 18 seats followed by Decision Alliance with 14 seats.
• The Al-Anbar Is Our Identity coalition obtained 6 seats and Change Movement possessed 5 seats.
• New Generation Movement gained 4 seats.

Sadr’s alliance with communists will still need to possess support, if he intends to form a coalition government.

Sadr was in the head of two revolts against the US forces in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. Then, Washington even called the Shia militia loyal to Sadr the biggest threat to Iraq’s security. At present, Sadr claims to be a pro-Iraqi “non-sectarian” patriot who does not intend to expel US forces from the country. He is also believed to agree on Iraqi-US opposition to Iran’s deep influence in Iraq.