The mainly Shia movement having the support of religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr strongly opposed a third term form Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia himself, in forming an Iraqi government and said it would not partake in a government by the latter whose State of Law Coalition had won the biggest number of seats in the new parliament.

Al-Ahrar states prominently in its party platform that it wants to fight corruption which it says is rampant in al-Maliki-run government.

The coalition is considered a Sadrist Movement, despite the announcement of its leader Muqtada al-Sadr of withdrawing from political life.

Headed by Dia al-Asadi, it strongly opposed a third term for Prime Minister al-Maliki and his large grouping State of Law Coalition.

The seats are divided as follows: In preparation for the 2018 parliamentary election, Sadr has withdrawn the bloc from parliament and urged its MPs not to stand in the May poll, in order to make way for his new list known as Alliance Towards Reforms, with the main components being the Sadrist movement and the Iraqi Communist Party.