The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Najaf

The political movement of hardline Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr will not participate in Iraqi provincial elections in October, the cleric's main spokesman told AFP on Sunday.

"The Sadr group will not take part in the (provincial) elections as we did in the parliamentary election," said Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, spokesman for Sadr in the holy city of Najaf.

"This is the decison as of now by Moqtada and the Sadrists. We want to avoid making the same mistakes of being part of the sectarian divisions."

Iraq is due to hold elections in its 18 provinces on October 1, a key benchmark set by Washington to stabilise the war-torn country.

The Sadr group has 32 lawmakers in the 275-member parliament.