Coordination Framework: Ready for dialogue to form government

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The Iraqi coordination framework announced on Monday that it is ready to initiate dialogue and reach an understanding with all Iraqi political forces on government formation.

The framework also announced its full support for the UN statement on a year passing since the Iraqi parliamentary elections and noted its readiness to reach an understanding in order to form an empowered government capable of providing services and live up to the Iraqi people's expectations.

On September 28, the Iraqi parliament voted to grant its confidence to House Speaker Mohammad Al-Halbousi after the majority of MPs (222 members) refused to agree to his resignation.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said on October 3 that the crisis in Iraq may "burn everyone" unless a meaningful dialogue takes place between political parties, adding that, "We are now living in a time where values and ethics are foregone in politics," and accusations of treason ring louder than voices calling for calm and dialogue.

Iraq's Crisis

Iraq is suffering from a political crisis that has recently escalated with the resignation of Sadrist bloc deputies from Parliament, whereupon they called for dissolving the parliament and for early elections. Later, the Iraqi government announced the launch of a national dialogue between the political to resolve the crisis.

Al-Sadr's supporters staged a sit-in outside Iraq's parliament for several weeks after storming it on July 30 to protest the Coordination Framework's nomination of Mohammad Shiya Al-Sudani for Prime Minister.

Following the turmoil with no agreement in sight, the Leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada Al-Sadr announced on August 29th that he is quitting politics. In a tweet, Al-Sadr announced his final resignation from politics and the closure of all his party offices. "I've decided not to meddle in political affairs. I, therefore, announce now my definitive retirement," he said.

Following the resignation, dozens of Al-Sadr's supporters stormed the Green Zone in Baghdad, and the police used water cannons against the demonstrators, where the government building and foreign embassies are located; however, they later cleared the streets upon Al-Sadr's orders.

Calm returned to Iraq after the withdrawal of supporters of the Sadrist Movement from the green zone, and the coordination framework ended the sit-in of its supporters also in the capital Baghdad, after clashes that killed and injured dozens.