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Iraq: Demonstrators continue to occupy parliament in Baghdad

2022-07-31T16:35:08.676Z


More and more men are coming to Baghdad to protest. The Prime Minister warns: "A thousand days of silent dialogue are better than a minute in which a drop of Iraqi blood is spilled."


Enlarge image

demonstrators in Parliament

Photo: Ameer Al-Mohammedawi / dpa

After the occupation of Iraq's parliament, many more protesters poured into the high-security zone in the capital, Baghdad.

Hundreds of followers of the influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr arrived from other parts of the country on Sunday, eyewitnesses reported.

Meanwhile, more and more security forces were stationed in the highly secured Green Zone.

All other sessions of the parliament were initially canceled, as the speaker of the parliament announced.

Acting Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kasimi once again called on the political camps to engage in dialogue.

With the storming of parliament in Iraq, an old power struggle has flared up between the political elites:

  • With the protests, the Sadr movement wants to prevent its political opponents around former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki from forming a government.

  • The rivals of the 47-year-old religious leader recently presented their own candidate as prime minister.

  • From al-Sadr's point of view, however, the former minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who is intended for the post, is far too close to ex-Prime Minister al-Maliki.

  • Al-Maliki and his alliance openly sympathize with neighboring Iran.

    Al-Sadr, for his part, wants to curb the influence of the leadership in Tehran.

Almost ten months after the general election, the oil-rich country is in a stalemate.

Al-Sadr's movement emerged as the clear victor at the time, but failed to secure the important two-thirds majority required for the presidential election.

Only with his support can a new government be formed.

Al-Sadr's actions, however, would have been a break with political traditions.

So far, the office has been held by a Kurd, the prime minister has always been a Shiite and the speaker of the parliament a Sunni.

al-Sadr's break with tradition met with resistance because some feared for power and influence.

Because of the blockade in parliament, MPs from the Sadr current resigned - a step that also surprised observers.

Acting Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kasimi declared: "A thousand days of silent dialogue is better than a minute of shedding a drop of Iraqi blood."

Shortly before, security forces in the highly secured Green Zone had tried to push back demonstrators with tear gas.

According to the authorities, at least 125 people were injured.

In the approximately ten square kilometer zone in the center of Baghdad there are numerous government buildings, the parliament and several embassies, including the diplomatic mission of the USA.

TV pictures showed how mostly young people were in the plenary hall and held up photos of al-Sadr to the cameras.

dop/dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-07-31

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