Al-Sadr urges halt to protests ahead of Iraq’s November vote

The head of the Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM), Muqtada al-Sadr, called on his supporters and sympathizers to suspend protests ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for November 11.

In a statement released by his media office on Thursday, al-Sadr said the decision followed solidarity rallies organized by non-affiliated youth expressing support for his “Reform Project,” a plan he promotes to combat corruption and overhaul state institutions.

“From now on — I mean until election day — there is no need for any demonstrations, please,” al-Sadr wrote.

The PSM leader has not endorsed any candidates for the parliamentary elections and has urged his followers to boycott the vote.