Hundreds of anti-Iran demonstrators occupy Iraqi parliament

On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters entered Baghdad’s protected “green zone” and occupied the Iraqi parliament building for most of the day.

The protesters were mostly followers of Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, and were protesting the election of an Iranian-backed candidate for prime minister named Mohammed al-Sudani.

Kurdish News Service Rudaw Violent Sadrists described the demolition of concrete barriers around the Green Zone, the shouting of anti-Iranian slogans and the raid on parliament after Sudan’s former labor minister was selected as the prime ministerial candidate by the Coordination Mechanism, an alliance of pro-Iranian Shiite parties. .

In Baghdad, protesters stormed the Iraqi parliament to protest the pro-Iranian prime minister candidate. pic.twitter.com/FWROvyhgVx

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) 27 July 2022

“Protesters, all male, have previously been seen roaming around tables in the parliamentary hall, removing folders, sitting in MPs’ chairs and waving Iraqi flags,” the report said. Associated Press (AP) to know.

The AP noted that parliamentary security forces “allow the protesters to pass easily”. Other reports expression The police tried to force the demonstrators out of the building with tear gas, but they managed to get inside.

The current prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, asked the protesters to “keep their peace and protect public and private property, as well as the instructions of the security forces responsible for their protection in accordance with laws and regulations, and withdraw immediately.” Green Zone.”

Sadr, who fully supports Shiite political influence but less enthusiastic about Iranian domination, Used excitement Ask followers to leave the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday night and “go home”. He assured his followers that they had succeeded in getting their “message” to the Iraqi government.

“Reform to the revolution and the rejection of injustice and corruption. you scared the corrupt,” Sadr said to his loyalists, who obediently responded with chants of “We’re following Syed” as they exited parliament. It is a term of respect in the religion of Islam for the supposed descendants of Muhammad.

“I oppose the Sudanese candidacy because it is corrupt,” said one of the protesters who had departed.

Muqtada as-Sadr initiated A major political crisis in June delivered his party’s decisive victory in the parliamentary elections in October. All 73 newly elected representatives resigned at his behest, gaining the most seats in the pro-Iranian bloc.

After defeating his Iranian-backed opponents at the ballot box for Shiite power, he tried to get them out of the parliament completely, and when he couldn’t win the game, he took his ball and went home. Some observers of the Iraqi political arena expect him to build more political power and use a similar strategy after the next election.

Two weeks ago, Sadr pumped the political iron. great prayer service Despite the intense heat in Baghdad, it fills the streets with thousands of supporters and adds some political red meat about Iraq’s crumbling system.

Shows of force like this help Sadr credibly threaten to overthrow any government he doesn’t approve of. A few weeks ago, Sadr annulled former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, accusing him of corruption. Mohammed al-Sudani, the candidate Sadr protested on Wednesday, is an ally of Maliki, whom Sadr’s supporters see as a puppet or “shadow” of the former prime minister.

Harvard Kennedy School researcher Marcin Alshamari aforementioned Al Jazeera news On Thursday, Sadr was making excuses to oppose any realistic prime ministerial candidate.

“Sudani is a very convenient excuse for Muqtada Sadr to express his dissatisfaction with the entire Coordination Structure and political system in Iraq. “If there was any other candidate, he would have done it.”

Alshamari also believes that Sadr is not as anti-Iranian as he seems – his interest is not to completely drive Iran out of Iraq, but mainly to consolidate power and respect for him and his political-religious organization.

The truth is that there is not a single political party in Iraq that is not affiliated with Iran, whether Shiite, Sunni or Kurdish.

Wednesday marked the longest post-election stalemate in Iraqi democracy due to clashes between Kurdish and Shiite groups in addition to Sadr’s theatre. It’s been 290 days since there was no president or cabinet in Iraq.

“There is no government, so there is no budget, the roads are in potholes, there is not enough electricity and water, and healthcare and education are poor,” said Mohammed Mohammed, a retired Iraqi civil servant. aforementioned Reuters.

Iraqis find this particularly dire during a time of record oil profits driven by rising world prices.