Alwaght- Muqtada al-Sadr of Iraq and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki spoke over phone on Friday, discussing the current situation in the country and possibility of forming a government.
Al-Sadr, the head of Sadrist Movement and the winner of October 2021 elections, also talked with other political leaders but talks with al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law Coalition and a rival to him, is of great importance.
The move may demonstrate a flexibility by the powerful Shiite leader as he is a staunch opponent to al-Maliki.
So far, al-Sadr has been insisting on al-Sadr isolation from any new government in the country. This is a key reason behind the stalemate in the country.
The Shiite Coordination Framework (SCF), a coalition of Shiite forces excluding Sadrist Movement, is oppssd to distancing al-Maliki, arguing that he is a nationalist figure.
Their differences mainly revolve around administration of the country, the future of anti-terror militias known as Popular Mobilization Forces(PM), foreign relations, and American occupation forces' presence in the country. The opponents accuse al-Sadr of shifting his views and being influenced by the pro-US agenda.
The Iraqi media say the phone conversation can pave the way for a solution to the months-long political limbo and help form a new cabinet.
Iraqi sources said that during the talks, al-Sadr proposed to al-Maliki former Iraqi ambassador to Britain Jaafar al-Sadr for the post of prime minister.
In the 20-minute call, al-Maliki told al-Sadr he will raise the proposal with SCF.
