Sadr reaffirms urge for followers to boycott Iraq’s parliamentary elections

NAJAF — Shia cleric and leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, on Monday renewed his call for parliamentary election boycott, urging followers to abstain from participating in the vote.

“Boycott them, may God have mercy on you,” Al-Sadr said in a statement posted online. He also referenced a Quranic verse, stating: “My Lord, do not place me among the corrupt people.”

The message comes one day before Iraq’s Nov. 11 general parliamentary elections, in which 7,768 candidates are contesting seats.

Special voting for more than 1.3 million security personnel and 26,000 displaced voters took place Sunday.

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission released its final report on the special voting process, showing an overall turnout of 82.52% among eligible participants, with more than 235,000 voters not casting ballots.

Al-Sadr has repeatedly distanced himself from Iraq’s formal political process, most notably in June 2022 when he ordered the resignation of all 73 Sadrist lawmakers from parliament. He has since maintained a boycott of political participation, including the current election cycle.