Muqtada al-Sadr backs Maliki

Iraq has been in political limbo since March elections,which a Sunni-backed bloc won,but so narrowly that it did not have the majority needed to oust Maliki.

An official from al-Sadrs bloc,Nassar al-Rubaie,told a news conference the next step is to open dialogue with the other winning political groups to form the government.

But the political jockeying is far from done.

Though other Shiite parties are likely to back him,Maliki still is short of the majority needed to form a government and may have to open talks with Kurdish leaders to put him over the top. Then it could be weeks 8211; or longer 8211; to put together a cabinet thats acceptable to Iraqs rival groups.