Al-Hakim aspires to bring back the Sadrist movement to the Coordination Framework

Shafaq News/ Al-Hekma (Wisdom) Movement did not withdraw from the Coordination Framework, spokesperson for Ammar al-Hakim's political party Fadi al-Shammari told Shafaq News Agency, hinting at an effort to bring back the Sadrist movement into the Shiite Consortium.

"The National Wisdom Movement is a pillar of the Coordination Framework. Talks about its withdrawal are merely wishes and unfounded speculations," al-Shammari said on Sunday, "we yearn and work hard to convince the Sadrist movement to resume their attendance at the Coordination Framework. We are also engaged in developing mature understanding that begets an effective political formula."

The Sadrist movement placed first in the October elections with 73 out of 329 parliamentary seats. It was followed by a coalition that secured 37 seats, and the State of Law Coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki placed third with 34 seats. The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq's Kurdistan Region placed fourth with 32 seats.

Political talks between Shiite factions in Iraq have fleshed out two different trends in the competition for the premiership as well as a readiness to accept a compromise to overcome the current logjam caused by the results of the October general election.

Although the bloc led by Muqtada al-Sadr won a clear lead in the Shia districts, which placed it in a comfortable negotiating position, it failed to garner sufficient seats to allow it to be the dominant party in the next government. This has prompted other Shia parties to join ranks as part of the so-called Coordination Framework.

Observers say that the situation that emerged from the 2021 elections is akin to that in 2010 when the two Shia blocs won by a close margin. As a result of the October poll, the Sadrist bloc controls 74 seats, while the seats the “coordination framework” forces control an overall total of some 70 seats.

So far, Sadr has not been able to find a Shia ally within the “coordination framework” in order to a larger majority, before starting negotiations over portfolios in the next government with Sunnis and Kurds.