A power struggle has been smoldering in Iraq for months, which has developed into one of the country’s most serious political crises since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Now one of the central figures, the cleric Al-Sadr, is announcing his retirement from politics.
Powerful Iraqi Shia leader and cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has announced his complete retirement from politics. He justified this on Twitter with the political standstill in the Gulf state, which has not had a fully functioning government since the parliamentary elections last October. He accused his rival Shia leaders of ignoring his calls for reform.
Al-Sadr announced that he would close his political offices, but some of his religious and cultural institutions would remain open. Al-Sadr’s party won the October election. However, he failed to form a government excluding his Iran-backed Shia rivals around ex-Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. He then withdrew his MPs in June and called for new elections.
At the same time, he called on his supporters to stage mass protests that culminated in the occupation of Parliament. Al-Sadr was so instrumental in fueling one of the worst political crises in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The conflict is stoking fears that Iraq could face a relapse into a new wave of violence and instability.
With the protests, the al-Sadr movement wanted to prevent its political opponents around former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki from forming a government. Al-Sadr and Al-Maliki are enemies. In addition, Al-Maliki and his alliance openly sympathize with neighboring Iran. Al-Sadr, for his part, wants to curb the influence of the leadership in Tehran.