The militant Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr withdrew six ministers loyal to him from the Iraqi cabinet on Monday, in the first major shake-up of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s government since it was installed a year ago. Legislators working for Mr. Sadr said that Mr. Sadr was withdrawing his ministers from the 38-member cabinet because the Iraqi government had refused to set a timetable for pulling American troops out of the country. The move is the first time Mr. Sadr has followed through with a threat to cut some of his ties with the government and with Mr. Maliki, a conservative Shiite whose grip on authority largely rests on Mr. Sadr’s political support.Mr. Sadr said he was motivated by Iraqi nationalism, asserting that his action was intended to give the government a chance to appoint new ministers who would not be beholden to any political party or have sectarian agendas. “I ask God to bestow upon the people an independent devoted government to be like a candle in the middle of the dark, away from occupation,” Mr. Sadr said in a statement, which was read at a news conference by Nassar al-Rubaie, a senior Sadr legislator.
The immediate effect of the pullout on the day-to-day work of the government and its ministries is unclear. Mr. Maliki did not announce any replacements on Monday, and the six ministries now controlled by Mr. Sadr could stagnate if Iraq’s various political parties engage in protracted haggling over the new appointments — a common blight of politics here. On the other hand, Mr. Sadr’s ministers are generally seen by Iraqi and American officials as corrupt and incompetent, so replacing them could bring long-term benefits to the ministries. Mr. Maliki has been saying for months that he wants to overhaul his cabinet.
Mr. Maliki said in a statement on Monday that he “welcomes the announcement of his eminence Moktada al-Sadr authorizing him the allocation of the six ministries that are held by Sadr’s bloc.”