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Sadrists: We want a Prime Minister with a Paternal Spirit | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Najaf/Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat – Sheikh Saleh al Obaidi, the official spokesman for Shia religious leader Muqtada al Sadr confirmed that the Sadrist trend has reservations about the nomination of specific people to fill the post of prime minister and that it supports the idea of putting forward a number of candidates from each list that wants to nominate a representative for the premiership rather than committing to one candidate.

With regards to the Sadrist view of the specifications of the next prime minister, Al Obaidi told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The first thing is that he works for Iraq and not only for his party or list. Secondly, he is characterized by a spirit of paternalism in dealing with those present and is not an instigator or tense.”

Sources close to al Sadr told Asharq Al-Awsat that during talks with delegations from the State of Law coalition and the Iraqi National Alliance, al Sadr insisted that Ayad Allawi, head of the Iraqiya List personally “plays an important part in the next government.”

In reference to the new Iraqi government, US Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill stated that “a number of states want to have an influence on the formation of government; we are worried about countries interfering.”