DUBAI, UAE - Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the National Shiite Movement, on Wednesday called on his supporters to update their voter registration records, signaling a potential shift in his stance on participating in Iraq’s upcoming elections.

“This is a necessary matter and beneficial for you, whether you participate in the elections or boycott them,” Sadr said in a statement issued by his office. 

The statement comes just three days after a source from the movement told The New Region that Sadr was yet to decide on whether to take part in the elections.

The source at the time denied reports claiming the Movement intended to participate, stating that Sadr had not communicated any decision and was expected to announce his stance within three months.

Sadr withdrew his 73 MPs from parliament in 2022 after failing to form a government despite securing the largest number of seats in the 2021 elections. 

His attempts to build a ruling coalition with Sunni and Kurdish allies were blocked by the Iran-aligned Coordination Framework, which later formed the government through the State Administration Coalition.