Iraqi ministers boycott cabinet meetings

Sadrist Movement, led by Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, has announced that its ministers will boycott the upcoming Iraqi cabinet sessions. Iraq’s Minister of Planning Ali al-Shoukry told reporters on Tuesday: "The ministers of the Sadrist Movement have told us they will boycott the meetings of the Iraqi cabinet upon the instructions of their leader Muqtada al-Sadr.” Al-Shoukry added that the ministers would continue their governmental duties from their offices. Earlier on Tuesday, al-Sadr issued a statement in which he claimed that Islamic militant organisation al-Qaeda had taken control of several Iraqi governorates. The cleric also criticised the Iraqi judiciary and said his party was considering withdrawal from the government and the "weak parliament." The Sadrist Movement currently has six ministers in the Iraqi government, along with 40 parliamentary seats.