"Some politicians believe that they can have absolute majority policy to continue with their corrupt strategies, Al Sadr said on Saturday, May 5, in an apparent dig at the former premier, NRT reported.

Al Maliki - now a Vice President - has been severely diminished because of Iraq's losses to Islamic State (IS) and widespread perception that his second administration was corrupt and incompetent, but is seeking a return as Prime Minister.

On Monday, May 7, he was joined by electoral rival Iyad Allawi, who claimed that an all majority government would heighten sectarian tensions in the county.

"Politicians try to camouflage it by saying it’s a political majority, but we all know that it’s sectarian. We don’t believe in this at all," he told The National in a recent interview.

Iraq is due to vote on May 12 in its first parliamentary elections since 2014 and only a few months after the government declared the defeat of IS. Fellow Shiite and current Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi appears to be the front-runner.

Reporter’s code: 50101