– I hereby announce my final withdrawal, Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr wrote on Twitter on Monday morning. The Shia leader will no longer interfere in political matters, he adds. The announcement was quickly met with unrest from Sadr’s supporters, who stormed the Republican Palace. The palace is a ceremonial building inside Baghdad’s well-secured green zone with government buildings. There is, among other things, the office of the prime minister, writes the news channel al-Jazeera. The demonstrators got into the government palace, and here they bathe in the pool. Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP At least 15 people have been killed and around 350 injured in clashes between demonstrators and security forces, AFP reports. The security forces used tear gas against the demonstrators. Shots were also heard from the area, NTB writes. In an attempt to gain control of the situation, the army in Iraq introduced a country-wide curfew. It started at 19:00 local time, reports the Reuters news agency. Supporters of al-Sadr react to smoke outside the government’s headquarters in the capital Baghdad’s Green Zone. Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP Who is Sadr? – He is a religious leader from a prominent Shia Muslim family of former religious leaders who have had great respect in Iraq, says researcher at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (NUPI) Kjetil Selvik. Sadr has not held any central political positions, but he has a lot of political influence behind the scenes, says Selvik. What Sadr actually says when he withdraws from political affairs is that he wants to cultivate his reputation as a religious leader instead, says Selvik and adds: – Religious leaders tend to be more popular in Iraq. Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr announced today that he is withdrawing from all politics. Here he is holding a speech in Najaf in June 2022. Photo: QASSEM AL-KAABI / AFP Selvik explains that Sadr has a large following who are known to take to the streets. – Much of Sadr’s power has historically been that he has a strong subject to mobilize protest. He now uses it to get what he wants, otherwise there will be chaotic conditions in Iraq, explains Selvik. Ten months without a national assembly Well ten months after the election of a new national assembly in Iraq, the people’s representatives have still not been able to agree on a new government, prime minister or president. That is written by NTB. The largest bloc in the National Assembly was controlled by Sadr, as he had 73 of the 329 representatives. Together with other parties, he has formed a coalition that has 155 representatives, but it was not enough to form a government. Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP The Sadr coalition is at odds with the other side of Shiite politics in Iraq, the so-called Coordination framework. They have 130 representatives in the National Assembly and also lack the necessary majority. Demand new elections After a long period of political crisis in the country, Sadr decided in June to withdraw himself and all group members from the national assembly. When the Coordination Framework tried to form a government, Sadr’s supporters stormed the National Assembly. Several hundred supporters have since occupied the space outside the National Assembly. Supporters of Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr protest inside the so-called Green Zone in Baghdad. Photo: THAIER AL-SUDANI / Reuters Earlier this month, Sadr called for “a democratic, revolutionary and peaceful process”, the dissolution of the national assembly and new elections. He also emphasized that the train had left for a negotiated solution, writes NTB. Iraq’s acting Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi and President Barham Saleh nevertheless refuse to give up hope of a negotiated solution and have advocated “national dialogue”.
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At least 15 killed when protesters storm the government palace in Baghdad – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
