Iraq’s Al-Sadr Withdraws from Politics - Tasnim News Agency

Influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced that he is quitting political life and closing his political offices following months of tensions in the country.

“I hereby announce my final withdrawal,” al-Sadr said on Monday.

The statement, published on Twitter, comes amid months of protests by his supporters backing his call for the dissolution of the Iraqi parliament.

In his statement, al-Sadr emphasized that all of his supporters are free in making their own decisions.

He also forbade this movement from meddling in political and governmental affairs.

Many of al-Sadr’s supporters have been participating in a sit-in outside the Iraqi parliament since the end of July when they stormed the building and stopped al-Sadr’s rivals from appointing a new prime minister.

Reacting to his statement, many of those supporters at the sit-in attempted to bring down security barriers and converge on a rival sit-in.

Al-Sadr’s supporters had won the most seats in October’s parliamentary elections but were unable to form a government.

He ordered his parliamentary bloc to resign en-masse in June, which they promptly did.

Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court is meeting on Tuesday to decide on whether the parliament will be dissolved.

Al-Sadr has announced his withdrawal from political life before, only to walk his decision back.