Iraq’s Shia cleric leader Muqtada al-Sadr today called on Iraqi
premier Nouri al-Maliki to resign in order to end the government’s paralysis.
Sadr told reporters in Najaf that he would not bow to pressure from Iran to
continue supporting Maliki. Sadr has
accused Maliki of keeping Kurds and Sunnis away from power. He instructed his
party's 40 lawmakers to support a no-confidence vote against Maliki if other
political blocs in parliament provide the rest of the 163 votes needed to
unseat the premier.
Nader, do you have specific quotes from Sadr?
ReplyDeleteThe ones I've found are more guarded in nature and conditional:
""I do not support a no confidence vote if it hurts the Iraqi people. But the no confidence (vote) is not what has delayed the government from doing its duty."
and
"I said and I am still saying that there is a promise from me to the other blocs if the votes (for a no-confidence motion) reach 124, my 40 votes are with them."
Mark,
ReplyDeleteSadr talks in Shia cleric manner and we need to read the meaning of what he said in Najaf on Sunday! Aside from the quote you have referenced above, AP has filed other quotes:
“The reforms are main goal, and the no-confidence vote is the beginning of the reforms.”
“If the head is reformed, everything beyond it is reformed.”
The political paralysis in Baghdad is real and Sadr is moving in the vacuum to claim the Shia leadership. He will do so, however, if the Kurdish and the Sunni blocs take the initiative and muster enough support for the no-confidence vote to ouster Maliki.