Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki needs to be removed for reforms to take place, powerful Shiite holy man
Moqtada Tateral-Sadr
... the Iranian catspaw holy man who was 22 years old in 2003 and was nearing 40 in 2010. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah...
said on Sunday, adding that his MPs would back a no-confidence vote if needed.
"Reforms are the main goal, and withdrawing confidence precedes these reforms," Sadr told news hounds in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, likening the situation to the need to wash before prayers.
"We want to pray, but our prayer will not be correct unless we have ablution before," he said. "The reforms cannot be implemented without putting pressure on the government."
Sadr said he does not want to withdraw confidence from Maliki, but that he would support such a move if needed.
"I do not want to withdraw confidence, nor does anyone else, but our first and last request is reform and partnership, and not marginalizing the others," the holy man said.
He also reiterated that if his parliamentary bloc's votes were needed to unseat Maliki, he would provide them.
"I said, and I am still saying, and this is a promise from my side to the other blocs, that if their votes reach 124 ... I will add to them the remaining 40 votes."
When asked about the nature of the reforms he seeks, Sadr referred to a list of points he presented in late April.
The points include giving priority to Iraqi interests over sectarian, ethnic and party interests, and having minorities "participate in building Iraq, politically, economically and in security."
Appointing permanent ministers to security posts, including the defense ministry, that have remained unfilled since 2010 was also among his points, as was standing "strongly against any internal or foreign threats against any component of the Iraqi people."
Sadr was not optimistic about the stabilization of the political situation in Iraq.
"In Iraq, the crisis never ends, it is either put aside or the others will ignore it, so it will appear again at a different time," he said.