The head of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, the Turkmen representative in the House of Representatives, Arshad Al-Salihi, from Kirkuk Governorate, affirmed his call to Muqtada Al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist movement, to reverse his decision to withdraw from the upcoming parliamentary elections.

He said in a message “we were shocked by al-Sadr’s decision, which he announced yesterday, because of its great impact on holding the elections, because of al-Sadr and his large national masses’ weight, position and place in Iraq and the region.

He stressed “our position and our message today is that Al-Sadr and his national movement were at the forefront of the voices that stood for the sake of preserving the unity of Iraq and defending the Turkmen, ensuring their rights and removing injustice from them, fighting terrorism, consolidating national unity, supporting state building and defending Kirkuk, and ensuring the rights of its people and national identity.

He added, “On this blessed day, and with the approach of Eid al-Adha, we affirm our call and our national message to al-Sadr by saying, that the enemies of Iraq, the terrorists, the corrupt and those who seek to divide our one Iraq feel happy and satisfied at the absence of the position, voice, weight and position represented by Muqtada al-Sadr, his generous family and his masses, and we ask you to reverse your decision for the sake of Iraq, its people, and the unity of its lands.. There are no elections in the absence of the simple, poor and oppressed masses, and the position of Al-Sadr in Iraq.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency