Iraqi Political parties call for easing tensions
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Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi warns about the repercussions of the current political tension, urging the Iraqi people to face sedition with cooperation.
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Supporters of the Iraqi Sadrist Movement stormed the parliament building (AFP)
On Saturday, the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, called on the demonstrators who stormed the parliament building to maintain a peaceful demonstration while directing the Security forces not to attack the protesters.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, called on the demonstrators to remain peaceful while ordering the security forces to provide them with protection.
In a statement, Al-Kadhimi said today: “The political blocs must sit down, negotiate and reach an understanding for the sake of Iraq and the Iraqis, and using the language of treason and exclusion must be avoided.”
“I call on everyone to be calm, patient, and rational, and not to be drawn into confrontation, and I call on citizens not to clash with the security forces and to respect state institutions,” he added.
He also warned about the repercussions of the current political tension, calling on Iraqis "to face sedition with cooperation".
On its account, the Iraqi Coordination Framework called on its supporters to stage counter-demonstrations "in defense of the Iraqi state."
"We follow with concern the unfortunate events Baghdad has been witnessing over the past few days, particularly the assaults on the constitutional institutions, storming the parliament, and threatening to attack the judicial authority, the state departments, and security forces," Iraqi Coordination Framework added in a statement on Saturday.
The statement stressed that the government holds the full responsibility of protecting the constitutional states."
"We also hold the parties behind this escalation the liability of this deed's repercussions on the social peace," it said.
The head of the Iraqi National Wisdom Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim called on the Sadrist movement and the Iraqi Coordination Framework to start an open, direct, and constructive dialogue.
Earlier today, supporters of the Iraqi Sadrist Movement have once again stormed the Iraqi parliament in the Green Zone, Baghdad, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported, noting that the Sadrist Movement itself was organizing the entry of protestors into the Green Zone.
#Iraqi Sadrist Movement supporters have stormed the Iraqi parliament, with local media saying it was "occupied" by the protestors amid demonstrations against the nomination for #PrimeMinister. pic.twitter.com/k52vddLCAr
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 30, 2022
Demonstrators are still storming parliament for the second time this week to protest the Coordination Framework's nomination for Prime Minister.
The demonstrators also renewed their rejection of the proposed PM Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani, who was nominated for this position by the Coordination Framework.
Who is Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani?
Al-Sudani, 52, was previously in the Dawa Party - Iraq Organization, and the State of Law coalition led by former Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki before he resigned from both of them when his name was put forward as a candidate for prime minister in 2019.
Al-Sudani won membership in the Iraqi Parliament three times, the last of which was in 2021. He held ministerial positions, as he was Minister of Labor and Social Affairs between 2014 and 2018, and Minister of Human Rights between 2010 and 2014, according to a biography issued by his office. He also held the position of governor of Maysan, located in southern Iraq.
It is noteworthy that on June 12, Muqtada Al-Sadr, the leader of Iraq's Sadrist movement, urged the MPs from his bloc -- the biggest in parliament -- to ready resignation papers, in a bid, he said, to break the parliamentary logjam and create space for the establishment of a new government.
"If the survival of the Sadrist bloc is an obstacle to the formation of the government, then all representatives of the bloc are ready to resign from parliament," Al-Sadr said in a televised statement.
In May, Al-Sadr announced that his parliamentary bloc failed to form a national majority government, noting that his bloc has turned into the opposition, and will make way for other blocs to form a government.
