Rival Iraqi factions took to the streets of Baghdad to call for a new government, with supporters of religious scholar Moqtada al-Sadr calling for snap elections and his Iran-backed opponents saying the results of last October’s election should be honored.
Thousands of al-Sadr supporters prayed outside parliament on Friday to show their support for the populist leader, who has urged the judiciary to dissolve parliament by the end of next week.
Hours later, supporters of Iran-backed groups opposed to al-Sadr rallied on the edge of the fortified Green Zone, where parliament and foreign embassies are located, and insisted that they form a new government on the basis of October’s elections should form.
Sadr supporters stormed parliament last month and have since held a sit-in in front of the assembly building in the Iraqi capital.
The rivalry between the two sides shows the deep divisions within Iraq’s Shia community, which makes up about 60 percent of Iraq’s population of more than 40 million. Unlike the Iran-backed groups, al-Sadr wants better relations with Arab countries, including Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, Iran’s main competitor in the region.
Al-Sadr has also been a harsh critic of widespread corruption in the oil-rich country, which has been torn apart by decades of US-led war and subsequent violence, with a crumbling infrastructure, an impoverished majority and a lack of basic services.
Al-Sadr, whose camp won the most votes in last October’s parliamentary elections, was unable to form a majority government and after eight months of deadlock and wrangling with rival factions, he gave up attempts.
Members of al-Sadr’s parliamentary bloc resigned, but instead of allowing his rivals – the Coordination Framework – to form a government, al-Sadr has called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections. It is unclear whether he has any legal basis for these claims.
“Occupation of Parliament”
Friday’s protest and counter-protest were the latest in a series of demonstrations that have sparked fears of unrest if the political gridlock continues.
Religious and political leaders enjoy the loyalty of large numbers of people, and militias operate independently of the central government. The impasse, now in its 10th month, is the longest in the country since the 2003 US-led invasion wreaked havoc on the political order.
“We protest against the occupation of parliament and against those who threaten the judiciary,” said university student Abbas Salem, who attended the rally of Iran-backed groups on Friday.
Salem carried a placard depicting a senior Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, and a senior Iraqi Shia militia leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in a US drone strike in January 2020. He said he was concerned if al-Sadr could form a government. He will disband the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella organization of mainly Iranian-backed Shiite militias.
Another protester, Ahmad al-Maliki, 52, said he opposed the “occupation of Parliament” by al-Sadr supporters, adding that Iraq needed a new government as soon as possible.
‘No Turning Back’
Meanwhile, in Baghdad and most of Iraq’s Shia provinces – with the exception of the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala – al-Sadr’s supporters held their own rallies and performed outdoor Friday prayers to show their strength.
In Baghdad, most dressed in black to celebrate the Muslim month of Muharram, and some wore white cloaks, symbolizing shrouds and their willingness to die for their cause.
“You will not break Iraq as long as Sadr is here,” an imam told the crowd from a large red stage set up in front of the parliament. “There is no turning back from this revolution… and the people will not give up their demands.”
In the intense summer heat, men made their way through the worshipers, dousing them with cold water. Some bore portraits of al-Sadr and his father, also a prominent Muslim scholar, and Iraqi flags.
Al-Sadr counts millions of Iraqis among his supporters and has shown that he can still stir up rallies of hundreds of thousands of supporters, mostly working-class Shia Muslims, when he needs to exert political pressure.
Hamid Hussain, father of five, said: “I am here to call for early elections and to ensure that all corrupt faces are excluded from the upcoming elections… I became unemployed because of the corrupt parties.”
As night fell, protesters supporting the pro-Iran groups began setting up tents to begin an indefinite sit-in until their demands are met.
“Today we will have a sit-in…People can’t stand another election…we are tired,” said Mohamed Yasin, 35, a day laborer.