Mass demonstrations in Baghdad, denouncing Sudani's nomination for prime minister

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The streets of Baghdad witnessed massive demonstrations on Wednesday denouncing the nomination of Mohammed Shiya Al-Sudani for the position of prime minister.

Two days ago, the Coordination Framework, the largest Shiite alliance in the Iraqi parliament, nominated al-Sudani to be prime minister after nine months of elections.

Read More: Shiite coordination framework nominates Al-Sudani for Iraqi prime minister

Muhammad Shiya al-Sudani is a current deputy and former governor who has held several ministerial positions.

Al-Sudani resigned from the Islamic Dawa Party led by al-Maliki at the height of the unprecedented protests that Iraq witnessed in late 2019.

The coordination framework says that al-Sudani's candidacy was unanimously held during a meeting held in a positive atmosphere, however the Sadrist movement hinted their rejection.

Although the leader of the Sadrist movement no longer has a parliamentary bloc after its resignation in June, he is able to mobilize the street and his supporters.

Kurdistan 24 reporter said that the demonstrators gathered in one place, and then headed to the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad.

The protests were preceded by calls on social media to demonstrate, including from prominent members of the Sadrist movement.

The demonstrators raised pictures of the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr.

One of the protesters told Kurdistan 24 that Al-Sudani's candidacy is nothing but a process of "recycling" the faces that failed to improve the general situation in the country.

Security forces allowed protesters to cross a bridge connecting the Green Zone, but it is not yet clear whether the demonstrators will go into the area that government headquarters and diplomatic missions are located.