Shia cleric Sadr eyes national majority gov't in Iraq

By Haydar Karaalp

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AA) - The Sadrist Movement in Iraq intends to form a national majority government, its leader said on Thursday, after it dominated the country's parliamentary elections as the Sairoon Alliance last month.

"The whole world has witnessed that the elections were held in a transparent manner. We have two ways before us, either to form a national majority government or to form a national opposition," Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shia cleric, said at a press conference in Najaf city in southern Iraq.

Referring to what he said were uncontrolled armed groups within the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militia, al-Sadr said these should be dissolved and their weapons handed over to the government.

The Sadrist Bloc made big gains in Iraq's parliamentary election on Oct. 10, taking 74 seats in the 329-member parliament.

The country's election commission has yet to announce the final results of an ongoing recount.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan