After storming Baghdad’s high-security Green Zone in protest at a rival bloc’s nomination for prime minister, hundreds of supporters of powerful Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr danced and sang in parliament Wednesday.
The crowds surged forward and entered parliament even though police fired barrages of tear gas in a bid to stop the protesters from breaching the gates of the heavily fortified Green Zone. Despite soaring global energy prices, oil-rich Iraq has been mired in a political and socioeconomic crisis.
Deadlock persists over the establishment of a new government even though Sadr’s bloc emerged from elections in October as the biggest parliamentary faction.
Chanting, cheering and taking photographs, crowds wandered around the parliament building waving national flags.
Calling on the protesters to “immediately withdraw”, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi warned that the security forces would prevent any harm to order.
In support of the protesters, Sadr wrote on Twitter “Revolution of reform, and rejection of injustice and corruption.”
Talks to form a new government have stalled since Sadr’s bloc won 73 seats out of total 329 seats in last year’s election.
Hampering reforms needed as the country struggles to recover from decades of conflict, Iraq marked its longest post-election deadlock on Wednesday as infighting among Shi’ite and Kurdish groups in particular prevents the formation of a government.
Bringing the country to a record 290 days without a head of state or cabinet, lawmakers tasked with choosing a president and prime minister looked no closer to an agreement over nine months since an October election.
(With inputs from agencies)
Watch WION’s live TV here:
