Moqtada al-Sadr addresses his supporters at the grand mosque of Kufa. (File photo: AFP)
Prominent Iraqi Shiite political leader Moqtada al-Sadr tweeted on Wednesday calling for the speedy formation of a strong government within 15 days that will restore Iraq’s prestige and independence.
He called for five candidates with integrity and experience from among whom a final candidate can be chosen to form an interim government that will in turn oversee early elections.
“Enough recklessness from some political blocs and enough stubbornness from the demonstrators,” he urged.
“Otherwise,” Al-Sadr said, “Iraq will be lost.”
He called on all the Iraqi factions to be patient and not to start military action and to silence the voice of militancy from some of their cadres.
Al-Sadr recommended the closing of all headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces “in order not to be a target if our decision becomes a military resistance with the occupier.”
The purpose of electing a new government, he said, should be in not repeating the same mistakes in future. “Our patience is almost exhausted due to the innumerable external interventions that do not take into account the interests of Iraq.”
