- In Iraq, the cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has announced his retirement from politics. He justified this on Twitter with the political standstill in the country.
- After the 48-year-old Shiite leader’s announcement, supporters of al-Sadr took to the streets in the capital, Baghdad. Some entered the government palace.
- Police and paramedics report two dead and 19 injured.
- The government imposed a nationwide curfew.
For the second time since 2014, Muqtada al-Sadr has announced his retirement from politics. “I had decided not to get involved in political affairs, but now I am announcing my final retirement and the closure of all facilities,” he tweeted. Religious institutions directly associated with him are excluded. “If I die or am killed, I ask for your prayers.”
Al-Sadr and his party won the parliamentary elections in October. However, he failed to form a government. In June he therefore withdrew his members of parliament and called for new elections.
Demonstrators besiege government palace
Less than two hours after the announcement, demonstrators poured into the Green Zone. Some carried photos of al-Sadr. “This is a people’s revolution, not a Sadrist movement,” some shouted. Others called for the “overthrow of the regime”. The protesters removed barriers and climbed over fences. Security forces tried to disperse the crowd with water cannons. The siege of the palace continued despite the curfew.
Legend:
Pictures show demonstrators in front of and in the government palace.
Keystone/EPA/AHMED JALIL
The office of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kasimi is located in the government palace in what is actually a highly secured Green Zone. This further intensifies the political crisis in Iraq after demonstrators broke into the parliament building a month ago.
Political stalemate
Prime Minister Al-Kasimi suspended all cabinet meetings until further notice. He spoke of “dangerous developments” and “serious consequences of ongoing political differences”. He asked al-Sadr to call the demonstrators to order. In Dhi Kar in the south, his supporters stormed a provincial government building. Others set fire to car tires on the street there.
Legend:
Supporters of the influential Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr took to the streets.
Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani
Iraq has been in a deep political crisis for months. After the parliamentary elections around ten months ago, this had become increasingly difficult. Al-Sadr’s movement emerged as the clear victor at the time, but failed to secure the important two-thirds majority required for the presidential election. A new government can only be formed with the support of the head of state. This created a political stalemate.
Proximity to Iran creates differences
After the fall of long-term dictator Saddam Hussein, the USA introduced a system of proportional representation, according to which the president is always a Kurd, the prime minister a Shiite and the speaker of the parliament a Sunni. In addition, al-Sadr wanted to curb the influence of Shiite parties supported by Iran.
With “pressure from the street” and a storming of parliament, the al-Sadr movement finally wanted to prevent its political opponents around former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who have close ties to Iran, from being able to form a government. Most recently, the religious leader had called for new elections. His rivals, meanwhile, have put forward their own prime ministerial candidate, which al-Sadr opposes because of his closeness to al-Maliki.