Moqtada Sadr to join Sistani’s election list

NAJAF - Radical Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr has agreed to join an election list supported by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, an al-Sadr spokesman said on Sunday.

A senior al-Sadr aide, Sheikh Ali Smeisem, told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa that negotiations between Sistani’s supporters and the al-Sadr movement had resulted in an agreement that its members would be included in the list.

A six-member election committee headed, by Sistani-aide Ali Sharistani, has been working on the election list that would include all major Shiite parties and groups.

Al-Sadr had led a rebellion against US and Iraqi forces in April and August which finally ended in mediation by Sistani.

Al-Sadr had earlier said he would not participate in elections following the US-Iraqi offensive against Fallujah last month.