Maliki rejects claims of threats against Sadr led alliance

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The head of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework on Sunday rejected claims made by the Sadrist led tripartite alliance on Friday saying they had faced threats.

“What we have seen and heard recently in the media about threats to the lives of some political figures, we categorically reject them,” Nouri al-Maliki said in a tweet, adding that they found frequent talks about threats without evidence “surprising”.

“If the threat is true, we demand that these personalities present their evidence before the judiciary, and we will be in solidarity with them,” Maliki added.

Maliki’s tweet came shortly after his ally in the Coordination Framework shared a similar tweet.

“We believe that the correct treatment for such cases is direct communication or resort to the judiciary, and away from the media,” Qais al-Khazali said.

The tweets from the Coordination Framework leaders come after on Friday Shiite influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said that the members of his tripartite alliance for the formation of a new government in Baghdad had been threatened.

“Once again some people threaten our allies and partners who have called for a national majority government … Stop threatening. I reaffirm that we will not give up and will not allow terror and corruption to control us,” Sadr said at the time.

Hours later, Mohammed al-Halbsousi - who leads Sunnis in the tripartite alliance with Sadr and the largest Kurdish bloc, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) - said that they will not accept such threats.

“There are some incomplete attempts to violate the sovereignty and dignity of the state. We are not afraid of their weapons and do not accept their threats,” he said in a tweet.

Iraq held elections on October 10. According to a long-standing customary agreement, the three main leadership positions in the Iraqi government are divided among Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis. Kurds get the presidency, Shiites get the premiership, and Sunnis get the parliamentary speaker.

Sadr’s bloc is in an alliance with the KDP and the Sunnis to form a “national majority government”, however the idea is opposed by many Iran-backed Shiite parties who prefer the idea of a consensus government, which would include them.

Iraq has for years had a national consensus government in which most parties were included and government members would be responsible for their leaders first, and then for the prime minister. This form of governance has allowed Iran to outsize its influence in Iraq and, according to many, encouraged corruption and hindered development in the country.

The Coordination Framework initially rejected the election results, claiming the vote was rigged. The alliance is affiliated to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic). They have been accused of threatening the members of the rival alliance.

The house of Halbousi and the offices of the KDP and other parties of tripartite alliance have been attacked in Baghdad.

Sadr had warned over than a month ago that he would not accept from anyone to attack his partners.

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