Beyond the Headlines podcast: Moqtada Al Sadr's resounding victory

Host Naser Al Wasmi is joined by two of his colleagues to bring the cleric and his parliamentary election victory to light

Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr wants a government that is inclusive of all Iraqis. His coalition won the largest number of seats in Iraq’s latest parliamentary elections. But Mr Al Sadr didn’t win enough to form a majority. This prompts weeks if not months of negotiations with different factions to form a government.

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, we break down what this means to the future of Iraq's government. Listen below, and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

His victory comes as a surprise to many. Prime Minister Haidar Al Abadi, whose bloc finished third, is now talking to the cleric. Mr Al Abadi, who claims ISIL’s defeat as his own doing, met with Al Sadr after the election. They assured the Iraqi people that their government will take care of them.

Mina Al Droubi, an Iraqi-British journalist at The National, and Campbell MacDiarmid, an editor on the foreign desk, join the show.