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At Baghdad rally, Iraq cleric threatens to boycott elections

An influential Iraqi Shiite cleric addressed thousands of anti-government protesters who filled the streets of downtown Baghdad on Friday, threatening to boycott the country's upcoming provincial elections if the committee overseeing the vote is not overhauled. Muqtada al-Sadr's remarks reflect persistent political power struggles in Baghdad even as Iraqi forces backed by the U.S.-led international […]

Ali Abdul-Hassan reports for AP:

An influential Iraqi Shiite cleric addressed thousands of anti-government protesters who filled the streets of downtown Baghdad on Friday, threatening to boycott the country's upcoming provincial elections if the committee overseeing the vote is not overhauled.

Muqtada al-Sadr's remarks reflect persistent political power struggles in Baghdad even as Iraqi forces backed by the U.S.-led international coalition battle the Islamic State group in Mosul in a weeks-long campaign to rout the extremists from the western half of the city.

Al-Sadr has repeatedly accused the committee — along with all tiers of Iraq's government — of being riddled with corruption. He called for the rally in Baghdad just days before asking his followers to "stand in the face of ... corruption and tyranny," according to a statement from his office.