Sadrist referendum starts in Karbala

KARBALA /Iraqi News Sadrist referendum has started on Friday 8:00 am to choose the movement’s candidate to occupy the position of Iraq’s new prime minister. “The referendum is after orders from Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr, the movement’s leader,” Jasim al-Taee, a high-ranking Sadrist in Karbala, told Iraqi News. He said that the referendum will last for two days. “Nineteen permanent positions and 23 movable teams are conducting the referendum in Karbala,” al-Taee noted. On Thursday (April, 1), the movement’s Speaker Sheikh Salah al-Obaidi said that Sadrist may support Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s attempt to be reelected for a second term in office. “If Maliki gets more than 50 percent of votes in the referendum, it seems that we may support him” al-Obaidi told Iraqi News. He noted that the movement will support any other nominee who is able to get the same number of votes. The Sadrist Movement is running a referendum among Sadrists on Friday and Saturday (April 2 and 3, 2010) to select the movement’s candidate for the position of Iraq’s Prime Minister. The referendum introduces five names to voters: Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Iyad Allawi, Adil Abdilmahdi, Jaafar Mohammed al-Sadr, and Nouri al-Maliki. The referendum sheet offers a sixth option for voters where they can propose another name of their choosing. MH (S)/SH 1