Populist Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr went from a mercurial outlaw wanted dead or alive during the U.S. occupation to a kingmaker in politics before transforming himself into the most powerful figure in the country.
But even with his unmatched influence, Sadr proved unable to end a prolonged stalemate over forming a government, and so on Sunday lawmakers from his Sadrist bloc in parliament resigned after he asked them to step down.
