by Maher Nazih
BAGHDAD, July 30 (Reuters) – Thousands of supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad’s fortified government area on Saturday for the second time in a week, a sign of a deepening political crisis in Baghdad. the country.
Protesters gathered by Moqtada al-Sadr and his social and political movement, the Sadrist Movement, knocked down concrete barriers and entered the Green Zone, which houses ministers and foreign missions, before entering the parliament building, said a Reuters witness.
“We are asking for a government without corruption (…) and these are the demands of the people,” said a demonstrator outside the building, in the middle of a crowd displaying portraits of Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi flags.
Similar protests had taken place on Wednesday, in which at least 70 people – including protesters and police – were injured when Sadr’s supporters threw stones and police fired tear gas and stun grenades, according to security officials and doctors.
Moqtada al-Sadr’s party came out on top in October’s general elections, but withdrew its deputies from parliament after failing to form a government that excluded its Shia rivals, mainly Iranian-backed groups.
The Shiite imam has since followed through on his threats to stir up popular unrest if parliament tries to approve a government he does not approve, saying it must be free from foreign influence and rampant corruption. in Iraq for decades.
Sadrists have chanted slogans against Sadr’s political rivals, who are currently trying to set up a government. Many have gone to the country’s Supreme Court, which the leader has accused of intervening to prevent him from forming an executive.
As Iraq experiences its longest period without a president or prime minister, Moqtada al-Sadr retains much of the power himself as his movement remains involved in the running of the country, with his followers holding key positions in all ministers and state bodies. (Reporting by Reuters TV Baghdad and Amina Ismail Erbil, writing by John Davison and Amina Ismail, French version Benjamin Mallet)