When Muqtada al Sadr's party won October's election we asked if he could form an effective government. After eight months of political paralysis, it's clear he could not. But now Iraq's most powerful politician has decided enough is enough. The decision has shocked and confused many. The Sadrist bloc won 73 of 329 seats in October's election. Clearly not enough for an overall majority, but it did put his party in the proverbial driver's seat. The Sairoon alliance was close to forming a government after joining forces with Sunni and Kurdish blocs. But Iran-backed parties blocked the formation. The controversial Shia cleric is a massive opponent of Iran's influence in his country. But what's confusing some experts now is that many of al Sadr's lawmakers will be replaced by Iran-backed parties. Nevertheless he's standing by his decision with some support from the streets. Tallha Abdulrazaq Iraqi Security and Political Analyst Ahmed Rushdi Senior Adviser to the Iraqi Parliament's Secretary General Saad al Muttalibi Political Security Adviser to the Baghdad Security Council