Al-Halboosi and al-Hakim urging al-Sadr to renounce his decision on withdrawing from elections

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Parliament Speaker, Muhammad al-Halboosi, and the head of the National State Forces, Ammar al-Hakim, urged the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, to renounce his decision to drop out of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The Iraqi Shiite cleric said on Thursday he will not take part in elections in October and withdrew his support from the government, distancing himself from the state at a time when deadly hospital fires and frequent power outages have angered Iraqis.

Addressing al-Sadr by his appellation "Aba Hashem", Parliament Speaker al-Halboosi said, "there is a lot to do. Iraq needs its devoted people to fly the flag, join the forces, serve its people, safeguard its dignity, and lead it to safety."

Al-Hakim tweeted, "We urge our brother, Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr, to renounce his decision to withdraw from the anticipated elections, continue the national effort, and refrain from clearing a vital and efficient popular pole from the arena."

"Iraq is in the middle of what is nothing short of a critical and dangerous turn. Preserving Democracy and not evading it is the only way to address the shortcomings, bolster the upsides, and redress a nation aspiring to obtain stalled and legitimate rights."