Sadr party challenges Maliki

BAGHDAD, April 3 (UPI) -- A member of Moqtada Sadr's political party said Thursday his party would push a political fight with the Iraqi prime minister if Sadrist demands were not met.

Sadr initiated a cease-fire for recent conflicts in Basra and other areas, calling on the Iraqi government to stop "random illegal arrests" and urging Baghdad to implement a general amnesty law.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, for his part, noted the military operations in Basra and other areas were aimed at "gangs" and not political parties, but noted, "This battle, which started in Basra, will expand to include all Iraqi cities," Voices of Iraq reported.

Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, a Sunni with the Iraqi Islamist Party, said the latest Sadr cease-fire was "responsive and historic," noting it prevented a "crisis that might have brought about disastrous consequences."

Some political analysts categorized the clash in Basra and other regions in Iraq as a political confrontation between Maliki, the Sadrists and cleric Abdul Aziz al-Hakim's Islamic Supreme Council.

Hashemi urged the Iraqi political parties to set aside their differences to focus on national interests while Bahaa al-Aaraji with the Sadrist Movement encouraged all political parties in Iraq to force Maliki to make his decision based on the interests of the Iraqi people and not bow to international pressure.

In related developments, a statement from Sadr's offices in Najaf called for anti-American protests April 9 to mark the fifth anniversary of U.S.-led forces entering Baghdad.