Ten months after the legislative elections, Iraq is still waiting for the appointment of a new Prime Minister and a President of the Republic. Since July 30, supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr occupy the Parliament.
Le Monde with AFP
New force demonstration by Moqtada al-Sadr in Iraq. Tens of thousands of supporters of the influential politician held the traditional Friday prayer in the ultra-secure “green zone” in Baghdad on Friday August 5. “Yes, yes to the reform”, “no, no to corruption”, chanted the faithful, while the country continues to get bogged down in a deep political crisis.
“We support the claims (…) [by Moqtada al-Sadr]: the dissolution of the Parliament and the holding of early elections,” launched the imam during prayer, two days after the leading of the leader Shiite on the subject. “Iraq is a prisoner of the corrupt,” accused the imam, castigating in his preaching “the glaring deterioration of public services, health and education”. A few hundred demonstrators then returned around Parliament, which they have occupied since July 30. 2> ten months of crisis
Ten months after the legislative elections, Iraq is still waiting for the appointment of a new Prime Minister and a President of the Republic. The October 2021 election had been won by the Sadrist current, who, with its 73 deputies, represented its first political force in a fragmented parliament where no camp succeeded in building a clear majority among the 329 elected officials.
Not having managed to bring together the majority to appoint a Prime Minister, Moqtada al-Sadr had his deputies resigned in June, abandoning to his opponents the task of forming a government.
The tension is mounted with a notch when the Shiite leader rejected the candidate presented by his opponents, the Shiite pro-Iran factions which form the influential coordination framework. The sit-in of supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr was initiated on July 30 to protest against this candidacy. 2>
Moqtada al-Sadr adversaries favorable to elections
Capitalizing on its ability to mobilize crowds, Moqtada al-Sadr called for the dissolution of the Parliament and the anticipated legislative elections. A dissolution of the Parliament must be acted by an absolute majority vote and can be requested by a third of the deputies, or by the Prime Minister with the agreement of the President of the Republic.
The adversaries of Mr. Sadr – who maintains jagged relationships with Shiite Iran – responded late in the evening, Thursday August 4.
“The coordination framework affirms its support for any constitutional path to resolve political crises and act in the interest of the people, including early elections,” said the alliance. But any election must be held “after reaching a national consensus on the issue and in a safe environment,” she said.
The president of the Parliament, Mohammed al-Halboussi, supported early legislative elections, considering on Twitter that it was “impossible to ignore the will of the masses”.