There will be no place for militias in the country’s new government, Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr states on Saturday.
The statement made by al-Sadr came on the eve of the first session of Iraq’s new parliament following the October 10 parliamentary elections, in which his bloc emerged winner.
On his Twitter account, al-Sadr expressed: “Today, there is no place for sectarianism or ethnicity, but a national majority government where the Shias will defend the rights of minorities, the Sunnis and Kurds.”
Adding that “everyone will support the army, police and security forces,” al-Sadr said: “There is no room for corruption, all Iraq’s sects shall be supportive to reform.”
Al-Sadr is known for his opposition to Shia armed groups operating outside the rule of law in Iraq.
Snatching 73 seats in the 329-member parliament, al-Sadr bloc came first in the Iraqi parliamentary elections.
