In Iraq, the political deadlock continues and tensions are building up. For the second time this week, supporters of the influential Shiite political leader Moqtada Sadr invaded the Iraqi Parliament on Saturday July 30 after entering the ultra-secure green zone of Baghdad, which houses government institutions and embassies. A photographer from Agence France-Presse (AFP) who was with the demonstrators entered Parliament with them.
Iraqi security forces initially tried to push back the demonstrators, using tear gas. Without success: like Wednesday, already, the partisans of Moqtada Sadr finally penetrated the enclosure of the Parliament to reject the candidate with the post of Prime Minister presented by the adversaries of Mr. Sadr.
The political deadlock is total in Iraq, which is still awaiting the appointment of a new president and a prime minister, ten months after the October 2021 legislative elections. Kingmaker and troublemaker on the political scene, the Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr launched a maximum pressure campaign against his opponents.
“All the people are with you, Sayyed Moqtada! », chanted the protesters, using his title of descendant of the prophet of Islam. The demonstrators denounce the candidacy for the post of Prime Minister of Mohammed Chia Al-Soudani, considered close to the former head of government Nouri Al-Maliki, historical enemy of Mr. Sadr. “We are here for a reform revolution (…) to make the people victorious and Sayyed Moqtada Sadr the leader”launched Haydar Al-Lami, a demonstrator.
” Revolution “
Coming from the political seraglio, Mr. Soudani is the candidate of the Coordination Framework, an alliance of pro-Iran Shiite factions bringing together the party of former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and representatives of Hachd Al-Chaabi, former paramilitaries integrated into the regular forces.
If he decided today to maintain the pressure on his adversaries, Mr. Sadr had nevertheless left them the task of forming a government, causing his 73 deputies to resign in June: they represented the first force within the Parliament of 329 deputies. .
“We would have liked them to wait for the formation of the government to assess its performance, give it a chance if it is good, or challenge it if it is not”Shiite politician Ammar Al-Hakim, an ally of the Coordination Framework, recently deplored in an interview with the Arabic antenna of the BBC.
“The Sadrist current has a problem with the idea that it is the Coordination Framework that will form a government. If it is not Mr. Soudani, if a second or third candidate is nominated, we can also expect objections”he estimated.
During the night from Friday to Saturday, Sadr’s supporters ransacked the offices of Mr. Maliki’s Al-Daawa (“The Call”) party in Baghdad, as well as the premises of the Shiite party Al-Hikma, the politician’s formation Ammar Al-Hakim, who is part of the Coordination Framework, according to a security source.