Members of Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's political bloc announced Sunday that the group would not compete as a party in coming local elections but would endorse candidates.
The decision appeared aimed at allowing the Sadrists to play a role in the election despite a government threat to bar the bloc from fielding candidates if it did not first dissolve its militia, the Mahdi Army.
The endorsements "will not be for Sadrists alone, but for individuals, chieftains, people with popularity and talents to serve and offer public services to the people," said Sadrist parliament member Haidar Fakrildeen. "We will support them. We will advise the people to vote for them."
The Al-Sadr movement, with small exceptions, did not participate in provincial elections in January 2005. In the coming round, scheduled for autumn, it had been expected to do well and perhaps best its main Shiite political rivals, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and the Dawa Party.
Sadrists, however, have charged that a spring military campaign in Basra, led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of the Dawa Party, had been an effort to damage their movement's ability to compete successfully in the fall vote.
The Iraqi parliament has yet to pass an electoral law, and the stalemate could delay balloting.
The parliament is divided on whether candidates should compete individually or on closed party lists, and over whether the law should ban parties with militias from competing. Al-Maliki has been pushing for the ban in what has been interpreted as a move against Al-Sadr.
Al-Sadr, who is believed to be in Iran, hasn't been seen in Iraq for months.
