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21:10 GMT
BAGHDAD, June 23 (KUNA) -- Iraqi prominent cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi agreed Saturday on creating a coalition to form a new government.
"We announce a cross-sectarian, cross-ethnic alliance to speed up forming the next government and to agree on common points that guarantee the interests of the Iraqi people," Sadr said at a joint news conference with Al-Abadi after their meeting in Al-Sadr's office in the southern city of Al-Najaf.
He noted the new coalition would be inclusive to all Iraqi sects and ethnicities.
He added that they seek to form a government of technocrats to focus on bolstering capabilities of army and security forces and ensuring that weapons are at the hands of the government only.
He noted that they agreed that the new government should adopt a balanced foreign policy that guarantees Iraqi interests, retains its sovereignty and make sure that no external parties are interfering in Iraqi affairs.
Sadr's joint electoral list Saaroun won 54 seats in the legislative elections to become the biggest bloc in Iraq's 329-seat parliament, while Abadi's bloc Al-Nasr came in third, scooping just 42 seats. (end)
ahh.ibi