(Baghdad) Officials of the Sadrist Current on Tuesday asked their supporters to evacuate the hemicycle of the Iraqi Parliament in Baghdad and to continue their protest movement around the building.
Posted at 12:24 p.m.
Supporters of the troublemaker of Iraqi political life, the Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, have occupied parliament since Saturday to protest against the candidacy of a prime minister proposed by rival pro-Iran factions.
On Twitter, Mohamed Saleh al-Iraqi, a close friend of Moqtada Sadr, called on the demonstrators to “leave Parliament within 72 hours and maintain the camp in front of and around the building” located in the Green Zone, an ultra-secure sector which also houses government institutions and embassies.
This call caused confusion even among the leaders of the Sadrist Current, one of whom later claimed that the instructions in fact provided for the exit of the demonstrators from the hemicycle and from another main hall of the building.
“These two rooms are forbidden to enter”, specified this person in charge of the communication of the movement on condition of anonymity. The demonstrators will nevertheless be able to continue to occupy “the entrance hall which is very large” and camp around the building, according to him.
Tuesday evening, hundreds of demonstrators were still lying on the carpet of the Parliament or installed in the armchairs of the hemicycle, noted an AFP photographer.
In the gardens and around the building, several tents were erected, and stands were set up to provide food and drink to the protesters. On the avenue leading to the Parliament, cows were hung on a post and a butcher had even set up his stall, butchering an animal.
“The continuation of the sit-in is very important for your demands to materialize,” said Mohamed Saleh al-Iraqi, recalling that it was necessary to organize rotations to allow the demonstrators to return to their homes.
He also announced a big Friday prayer in a large square in the Green Zone, not far from Parliament.
The Sadrist camp has rejected a candidate for prime minister presented by the Coordination Framework, an alliance of pro-Iran Shiite factions, which includes former paramilitaries Hachd al-Shaabi and Nouri al-Maliki, a historic enemy of Mr. Sadr.
On Monday, several thousand supporters of the Coordination Framework held a counter-demonstration in Baghdad, without causing any outbursts.
Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi, who handles current affairs, called on Monday evening for “a national dialogue” through a committee bringing together representatives of the different parties who would be responsible for developing a “road map” for a way out of the crisis.
The head of parliament, the Sunni Mohamed al-Halboussi, and Ammar al-Hakim, an influential Shia politician from the Coordination Framework, welcomed the initiative.
Since the October 2021 legislative elections, Iraq has been at an impasse. Months of negotiations and political quarrels have not made it possible to elect a new President of the Republic or a head of government.