CAIRO,
October 14 (IslamOnline.net) - The shadow cabinet declared by Shiite
leader Moktada Al-Sadr on Friday sermon and affirmed anew during his
press conference Tuesday, October 14, has drawn mixed reactions from
both experts and prominent Iraqi figures, with some hailing the move as
having "positive outcome" for Iraqis, while others downplayed
it as "much ado about nothing."
Speaking
at a press conference Tuesday, the anti-U.S. firebrand young leader
called anew on the Iraqis to support his shadow cabinet, asserting that
they had the final say on it.
"The
Iraqis shall support or reject the suggested government, through
demonstrations and a new mechanism for elections," Sadr said in
An-Najaf, 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Baghdad.
"The
first step shall be through mass demonstrations that would be followed
by a referendum and free elections to vote for the suggested
government," he said.
"I
have decided and I have formed a government made up of several
ministries, including ministries of justice, finance, information,
interior, foreign affairs, endowments and the promotion of virtue and
prevention of vice," Sadr told Shiite worshipers.
"If
you agree, I ask you to demonstrate peacefully in order to express your
support," the young leader added.
At
his well-covered press conference, Sadr further demanded the occupation
authorities in Iraq schedule their withdrawal from Iraq.
"I
send to these occupation forces an advice to first schedule their
withdrawal for a prompt exit from Iraq," Sadr said.
Asked
whether there was some kind of normalization between him and the
U.S.-led occupation, Sadr said, "There is neither cooperation nor
confrontation between the two sides."
"There
is absolutely no cooperation between the Mehdi Army and the occupation;
there is no confrontation either, neither negatively nor
positively," he said, referring to his militia.
Another
Capital
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"It
is much ado about nothing," said Bayatti
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Sadr
went as far as suggesting that An-Najaf to become the capital of Iraq
instead of Baghdad, charging that the capital was moved to Baghdad by
those whom he charged as "enemies of Islam."
"The
holy city of An-Najaf shall once again become the capital of Iraq
following the approval of the Iraqi people," he said.
Answering
a question about the clashes that took place among his armed men and
followers of Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in An-Najaf and Karbala over the
past 24 hours, Sadr said both sides have reached an agreement to head
off a repetition of such incidents.
Early
reports from An-Najaf said that at least 18 people from both sides had
been injured and over 100 armed Sadr men arrested by their opponents but
were released later.
Sadr
even invited members of the Governing Council to join his government,
reaffirming that "some of them already cooperated or supported his
plans."
"After
the approval of the Iraqi people, the Governing Council should obey the
will of the people and support this (shadow) government," he said.
The
young leader called on all factions of the Iraqi people, including the
Shiites, Sunnis and non-Muslims, are all invited to support or join his
shadow cabinet.
Answering
a question about the position of the "president" in Iraq, he
said, "This is a decision for the Iraqi people to make after the
formation of the suggested (shadow) government."
"The
president (of Iraq) is another step ... He will be elected after the
ministries and he will preside over all the Iraqi people," he said.
'Positive
Steps'
Commenting
on Sadr’s declared plans, Wahid Abdul Majid, deputy director of
Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies told IslamOnline.net
Tuesday, that the move would result in two positive steps.
"It
will definitely press both the Governing Council into taking concrete
steps towards general elections and the country's new constitution, and
the U.S.-led occupation into granting the Council real powers to
alleviate the sufferings of the Iraqi people," Abdul Majid said.
Asked
whether the shadow government would be opposed by the U.S. forces, he
said the Americans are determined from the very beginning to steer clear
of Shiites and not to provoke them.
"They
(the Americans) have already made some serious concessions, such as
apologizing for the latest firefight between U.S. forces and Shiite
people and turning a blind eye to Sadr's militia," he said.
Two
Iraqis were killed
Friday in a shootout with U.S. troops in the city, which is home for 2.5
million Shiites.
The
troubles started hours after a car bomb at a police station claimed
Thursday, October 9, the lives of nine people, including a bomber and
three police officers.
"Much
Ado"
However,
the spokesman for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq
(SCIRI), Hamed al-Bayatti, dismissed Sadr's declaration as "much
ado about nothing."
He
told IOL that the Governing Council was the one and only
"legitimate" body in post-war Iraq.
"It
(the Council) is recognized by the United Nations and the Arab
league," he charged.
"Let's
wait and see how much support this shadow government would gain in the
days ahead," he mocked at the Sadr's move.
Bayatti
further downplayed the importance of mass demonstrations in support of
the self-declared government.
"And
even If it is a yardstick, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis took to the
streets marking the first anniversary of the assassination of (the
former head of SCIRI) Shiite leader Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, voicing
their absolute support for the SCIRI, which is nothing when it comes to
politics," he added.
But
Hamed al-Khaffaf, the representative of Shiite authority Ali AL-Sistani,
said it is too early to jump to conclusions, noting said that it was up
to the Iraqi people to choose their representatives.
"Mr.
Moktada asked the Iraqis to take to the streets (if they support his
decision), but he said that he would not take further steps unless he
gained such support…So let's wait and see," he added.
