Moqtada Al-Sadr’s ‘resignation’ pushes country into new uncertainty
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The “resignation” of the firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr from political affairs has thrown the country into uncertainty amid a months-long political stalemate.
The followers of the cleric stormed Baghdad’s high-security Green Zone, where the government buildings, as well as diplomatic representatives, are located.
After tearing down the concrete walls separating the political elite from the rest of the capital, the Sadrists soon reached one of the palaces belonging to the Council of Ministers. For weeks, the supporters of the cleric have staged a sit-in near the country’s parliament after they had occupied the legislature for a while.
Among many slogans being chanted, the angry protestors were repeating “the people want the fall of the regime”.
The renewed protests came as the country is already in a deep political crisis following nine months of futile attempts by rivals to form a government.
A “total curfew” has been enforced across Baghdad, including pedestrians and vehicles, the Joint Operations Command announced.
Asking Moqtada Al-Sadr to withdraw his supporters, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi suspended all sessions “until further notice”.
The Ministry of Education announced that it had delayed all the primary and secondary examinations due to the new wave of protests.
Footages shared with Kurdistan 24 show that protestors are swimming at an outdoor pool inside a government palace in the Zone.
Protestors are swimming at an outdoor pool of the Iraqi government's building inside Baghdad's Green Zone.
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) August 29, 2022
The government has suspended its sessions "until further notice".
📹Submitted to Kurdistan 24 pic.twitter.com/3vXRO6cjdf
The United Nations in Iraq called on the protestors to immediately leave the zone, describing the renewed protests as an “extremely dangerous escalation”.
UNAMI calls on all protesters to leave the IZ and vacate governmental buildings, urges maximum restraint pic.twitter.com/J6hpzHNf3s
— UNAMI (@UNIraq) August 29, 2022