Al-Maliki's threat to hold snap elections comes in response to months of demands for his resignation by Sunni, Kurdish and some Shiite leaders who say he has sidelined them from power. It's unclear whether they have the political will or enough support in parliament to oust al-Maliki in a no-confidence vote.
The influential anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr this week joined al-Maliki's opponents in calling for his resignation, raising the stakes against the prime minister.
By countering with a threat to call for early elections, al-Maliki is betting that his popular support nationwide would hand him a clear-cut victory and assure him undisputed executive authority.
