Al-Halboosi: I accepted the Sadrist MPs' resignation with reluctance

Shafaq News/ The Speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammad al-Halboosi, on Sunday said that he "reluctantly"  approved the resignation of the Sadrist lawmakers at the behest of the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr.

Al-Halboosi tweeted, "at the behest of Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr, we reluctantly accepted the resignation of our brothers and sisters, the representatives of the Sadrist bloc, from the Iraqi parliament."

"We sincerely and honestly attempted to dissuade him, but he preferred to sacrifice rather than become a holdup. For the homeland and the people, he opted to proceed with this decision."

The members of the Sadrist bloc in Iraq's parliament resigned earlier today after their leader, powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, asked them to step down amid a prolonged stalemate over forming a government.

Al-Sadr's party was the biggest winner in an October general election, increasing the number of seats it holds in parliament to 73. But political disagreement among parties has hindered the parliament from electing a president and forming a government.

Al-Sadr, a populist who has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of both Iran and the US, said in a handwritten statement that his request to lawmakers to resign was “a sacrifice from me for the country and the people to rid them of the unknown destiny”.

Soon after, the parliamentary speaker accepted the resignations.

In a video shown on Iraq's state news agency INA, Speaker Mohammed al-Halboosi was seen signing the lawmakers' resignations.