Muqtada al-Sadr suggests voluntary exclusion in elections of all parties active since 2003

The leader of the Sadrist Movement in Iraq proposed to make an agreement with parties who support non-participation in elections of all those who previously took part in the political processes since the American occupation in 2003, including the Sadrist movement itself.

Muqtada al-Sadr earlier called for the dissolution of the Iraqi Parliament and snap elections after his supporters stormed the parliament and launched an indefinite sit-in in protest against the prime ministerial candidate of the rival Coordination Framework, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Sadr urged the Iraqi judiciary on 10 August to dissolve the parliament within 10 days.

An official of the movement posted Muqtada al-Sadr's recent message on Twitter on Saturday, which said:

"There is something more important than dissolving the parliament and holding snap elections, and that is the non-participation of all parties and individuals that had participated in the political processes since the American occupation in 2003 until today.”

It added:

"If this is not achieved, there is no room for reform, and therefore there is no need for me to interfere with what is happening in the future, neither by tweeting nor by anything else."

The political deadlock in Iraq has been continuing since the elections last October as political parties have not been able to come to terms to form a new government.