The Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announces his withdrawal from Iraqi politics, triggering new protests. Chaotic scenes take place at the government palace, at least two people die.
Protestants managed to storm the government palace.
(dpa) Supporters of the influential Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr have stormed the government palace in Baghdad. This was reported by eyewitnesses on Monday. Shortly before, the 48-year-old clergyman had announced his retirement from politics. The office of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kasimi is located in the building in what is actually a highly secured Green Zone. According to eyewitnesses, at least two people were killed in clashes with security forces and 30 others were injured.
This further intensifies the political crisis in Iraq after demonstrators broke into the parliament building a month ago. Ten months after the parliamentary elections, the parties are still unable to agree on a president or a head of government, while the country is groaning under an economic crisis, inflation and corruption.
Protesters demand the fall of the regime
For the second time since 2014, 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 on Monday. Religious institutions directly associated with him are excluded. “If I die or am killed, I ask for your prayers.”
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 a curfew in place from mid-afternoon. A nationwide curfew should come into force from the evening.
Footage shows people bathing in the palace pool.
Videos showed a cheering crowd in the palace’s noble rooms. One protester said protesters were wandering through offices, others were swimming in a pool outside. However, no public property will be damaged. Security forces tried to force the protesters out of the palace with tear gas. Eyewitnesses said shots were fired later.
Political stalemate for months
Prime Minister Al-Kasimi suspended all cabinet meetings for the time being. 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.
Iraq has been in a deep political crisis for months. After the parliamentary elections around ten months ago, this has 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.
Reforms are still missing
Al-Sadr has thus given up his attempt to reform the political system in Iraq with the help of parliament for the time being. After the fall of long-term dictator Saddam Hussein, it was customary for representatives of the most important political forces to be represented in the cabinet. Al-Sadr wanted to break with this tradition and form a majority government made up of MPs from his party, Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Sunni bloc. One of his goals was also to reduce 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.
Muqtada al-Sadr comes from a family of prominent clerics. After the US army invaded Iraq in 2003, he founded a militia, the “Mahdi Army”. Al-Sadr lived temporarily in Iran.