Supporters of influential Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr have stormed the government palace – even though the building is located in a high-security zone. This includes the office of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Eyewitnesses reported Monday about the storming of the government palace. This intensifies the political crisis in Iraq after protesters broke into the parliament building a month ago. Ten months after the parliamentary elections, the parties are still unable to agree on a president or a head of government, while the country is suffering from an economic crisis, inflation and corruption.
For the second time since 2014, al-Sadr announced his retirement from politics. “I had decided not to meddle in political affairs, but now I am announcing my final retirement and the closure of all facilities,” he tweeted on Monday. Religious institutions directly associated with him are excluded. “If I die or be killed, I ask for your prayers.”
Protesters demanded ‘overthrow of the regime’
Less than two hours after the announcement, protesters poured into the Green Zone. Some carried pictures of al-Sadr. “This is a people’s revolution, not a sadistic movement,” some shouted. Others called for the “overthrow of the regime”. The protesters removed barriers as security forces tried to disperse the crowd with water cannons. Videos soon showed a cheering crowd in the rooms of the government palace. The military has imposed a curfew.
Political stalemate after parliamentary elections
Iraq has been in a deep political crisis for months. After the elections to the House of Representatives about ten months ago, that became increasingly difficult. Al-Sadr’s movement emerged as the clear victor at the time, but failed to secure the significant two-thirds majority needed for the presidential election. A new government can only be formed with the support of the head of state. This created a political stalemate.
Al-Sadr has thus given up on his attempt to reform the political system in Iraq with the help of parliament. After the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein, the US introduced a system of proportional representation, where the president is always a Kurd, the prime minister is a Shia and the speaker of parliament is a Sunni. In addition, al-Sadr wanted to curb the influence of Iran-backed Shia parties.
With “street pressure” and a storming of parliament, the al-Sadr movement finally wanted to prevent its political opponents around former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, who has close ties to Iran, from forming a government. Most recently, the 48-year-old religious leader had called for new elections. His rivals, meanwhile, have put forward their own prime ministerial candidate, which al-Sadr opposes because of his close ties to al-Maliki. Moqtada al-Sadr comes from a family of prominent clerics. After the US military invaded Iraq in 2003, he established a militia, the “Mahdi Army”. Al-Sadr meanwhile lived in Iran.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
