Political Corruption Decides al-Sadr’s Decision to Boycott Elections

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The leader of the Shiite national current, “al-Sadr Current,” Moqtada al-Sadr, announced that he would not participate in the upcoming elections due to the presence of “corruption and corrupt individuals,” stating that Iraq is “living its last breaths.” This comes at a time when both internal and external pressures are increasing, with powerful forces obstructing any attempts at change and reform that al-Sadr had attempted to promote.

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In response to a question from one of his followers about participating in the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, al-Sadr said, “Let it be known to everyone, as long as corruption exists, I will not participate in any defective electoral process, whose only goal is to serve sectarian and partisan interests, far from the people’s suffering and the disasters occurring in the region, the main cause of which is dragging Iraq and its people into wars that do not concern them.”

Al-Sadr‘s attempts to address corruption and achieve social justice face great difficulties, as the major political forces try to disrupt these reforms, fearing for their interests.
Iraq is currently going through a sensitive phase where internal issues are intertwined with regional changes, especially after the escalation of tensions in Syria and Lebanon, and continued U.S. pressures on Iran-linked armed factions. This has imposed major challenges on the Shiite political house, which faces the risk of division amid escalating attacks and foreign interventions.

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Al-Sadr has been firm in his stance by asking his followers to boycott the elections: “I still rely on the obedience of the popular bases of al-Sadr‘s supporters in the Shiite national current. So, as I previously ordered them to vote, today I order them all to refrain from voting and running in the elections, as it would be aiding in sin… We will remain lovers of Iraq and will sacrifice our lives for it without any limitation.”

He added, “What benefit is there from participating with corrupt individuals and Ba’athists while Iraq is breathing its last breaths, after the dominance of foreign powers and the deep state over all of its facets?”

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For months, expectations have circulated about al-Sadr‘s return to the political process through participation in elections, especially after he called on his followers to update their electoral data. Several political blocs sent representatives to Najaf to gauge the position of the Shiite national current leader on participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Political researcher and close ally of the Shiite national current, Mujashia al-Tamimi, said, “Most agree that al-Sadr has political intelligence that allows him to carefully assess the timing and method of his participation in the political process, especially in the current complex circumstances. Al-Sadr knew that the region was heading toward escalation and tried to preempt the situation and implement reforms, but internal and regional forces prevented that.”

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He added that “the increasing pressures on the government of Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, due to the presence of armed factions and U.S. pressure resulting from the conflict with Iran, in addition to the fragility of the national situation, might lead al-Sadr to temporarily distance himself from the political scene. This would give him the opportunity to preserve his popularity and avoid getting involved in the aftermath of these pressures, in which he was not a party.”

Recently, the al-Sadr Current ordered its military wing, “Saraya al-Salam,” to refrain from using weapons inside or outside the country.

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In a statement, Saraya al-Salam’s military official, Tahsin al-Hamidhawi, said he had received instructions from al-Sadr to “stop sectarian statements, as this would lead to disastrous consequences for Iraq and its people.” Among al-Sadr‘s instructions, “The use of weapons, whether inside or outside Iraq, is strictly prohibited. The fate of the nation and people should not be decided by an individual or group.” He added that if Iraq were attacked externally, “you should refer to your religious authorities and wise men, not to the corrupt and oppressors.”

Al-Tamimi explained that “al-Sadr had already warned about the spread of weapons outside the legal framework, corruption, mismanagement, foreign interference, and the lack of justice and transparency.” He added that “the upcoming phase will require reform decisions that will clash with the partisan and political interests of the dominant powers, and will not be well-received by the influential regional forces in Iraq. There is no guarantee that political forces will truly support al-Sadr‘s reformist project.”

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He estimated that reforming the situation in Iraq is not impossible but requires internal will to start the process. However, most political forces are not ready to reform. Therefore, it is likely that al-Sadr has concluded that his participation in the next government will not provide him with the real opportunity to implement his political agenda for Iraq. That’s why I am not surprised that he remains isolated from politics.”

In June 2022, al-Sadr decided to withdraw from the political process in Iraq and not participate in the upcoming elections, to avoid associating with “corrupt individuals,” after he called for the resignation of all his deputies in Parliament, who numbered 73.

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Iraq is preparing to hold parliamentary elections in October 2025, and preparations coincide with ongoing debates regarding the electoral law that will govern these elections, as well as the increase in the number of seats in Parliament to match the population increase revealed by the last census.

Shiite political forces are going through several crises due to conflicts and differences of opinion regarding the upcoming elections, and there is still no consensus on revising the electoral law.

The Independent Electoral Commission announced that about 30 million people would be eligible to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections and clarified that they would take place according to the current electoral law, which provides for 329 seats in Parliament, without changing the number of seats based on the latest census.

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