Baghdad - (AFP) - The level of tension in Iraq has increased between the two prominent Shiite parties, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr , and former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , against the background of leaked audio recordings attributed to the latter, to further complicate the tense political scene since the early legislative elections.

Al-Maliki, who is considered one of the most prominent Shiite politicians in Iraq, denied that these recordings belonged to him, and considered that they were "fabricated."

Maliki's party said in a statement on Monday, "We will not be drawn into blind strife between the people of the same country."

An Iraqi journalist published on his Twitter account five leaked recordings attributed to al-Maliki, in which the speaker, who was presented as al-Maliki, attacked Shiite forces, especially the Sadrist movement and its leader Muqtada al-Sadr, with whom he has had tense relations for years.

The owner of the voice in the recording talks about the possibility of internal fighting between the Shiite forces, describing al-Sadr as "wanting blood" and "money". The Popular Mobilization Forces also attack Maliki's allies in the coordination framework, saying that "their command is in the hands of Iran."

The leader of the Sadrist movement responded to these leaks, calling on al-Maliki to "declare a retreat and retire from political work." He called for "extinguishing strife through a joint denunciation by the leaders of the blocs allied with him on the one hand, and by the seniors of his clan on the other hand."

He added, speaking of al-Maliki, that "after these destructive ideas, he is not entitled to lead Iraq."

This tension comes in the context of an ongoing dispute between the Sadrist movement and the coordination framework, in which al-Maliki is the most prominent member, since the announcement of the results of the early parliamentary elections nine months ago. The two parties were unable to agree on a formula to get the country out of the political impasse and form a government.

After his bloc won 73 parliamentary seats, al-Sadr wanted to form a majority government in alliance with Sunni and Kurdish blocs, while his opponents in the coordination framework wanted to form a consensual government. However, al-Sadr decided to withdraw his deputies from Parliament last June, in a move considered intended to increase pressure on his political opponents.

With the withdrawal of the representatives of the Sadrist bloc, the coordination framework has the largest number of seats in the Iraqi parliament, but so far the framework has also not been able to agree on the name of its candidate to head the government.

Late Monday night, hundreds of Sadrist supporters gathered in cities in the south of the country to protest the recordings, especially in Nasiriyah, Amarah and Kut, AFP correspondents reported.

In Nasiriyah, the demonstrators raised pictures of Muqtada al-Sadr and his father, according to an AFP correspondent.

Dozens also gathered in Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, a neighborhood named after Muhammed al-Sadr, Muqtada's father, but they quickly dispersed, according to a security source.

Saleh Muhammad al-Iraqi, a close associate of al-Sadr, had called in a tweet for calm, saying, "There is no need for demonstrations regarding the leaks."