Iraqi populist Muslim scholar Muqtada al-Sadr urged his supporters to continue their sit-in protest inside the national parliament in Baghdad until his demands, which include the dissolution of parliament and early elections, are met. The remarks, made by the Shiite Muslim leader in a televised address from Najaf on Wednesday, could extend a political stalemate that has kept Iraq without an elected government for nearly 10 months. Thousands of al-Sadr supporters stormed Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions, last weekend and occupied the empty parliament building in an ongoing sit-in. Al Sadr supporters have set up camp with tents and food stalls around the parliament. Supporters of Iraqi populist leader Muqtada al-Sadr gather for a sit-in at the parliament building amid political crisis in Baghdad, Iraq [Khalid Al-Mousily/Reuters] The moves were a response to efforts by his Shiite Muslim rivals, many of whom are close to Iran – notably the Iranian-backed Coordination Group – to form a government with prime ministerial candidates of whom al-Sadr does not approve. Sadr won the largest number of seats in parliament in October elections, but failed to form a government that would exclude his Iran-backed rivals. He withdrew his lawmakers from parliament and instead applied pressure through demonstrations and sit-ins in parliament, drawing on his popular base of millions of working-class Shia Iraqis. Al Sadr reiterated during his speech that he was ready to “witness” for his cause. “Dissolve the parliament and hold early elections,” al-Sadr said.
“I don’t want a dialogue”
Al Sadr, who once led an anti-US militia and has millions of devoted followers, noted in his speech that he also had “no interest” in negotiating with his opponents. “Don’t believe the rumors that I don’t want dialogue,” Sadr said. “But we have already tried and experienced the dialogue with them,” he added. “It has brought us and the nation nothing – only destruction and corruption.” Al Jazeera’s Dorsha Jabari, reporting from Baghdad, said al-Sadr seemed keen to show he was “not seeking any personal gain from this process”. “He was adamant that, of course, corruption exists at all different levels of government, he said one of the ways we can get rid of it is to have another round of elections to bring in a new crowd of people,” he said. The stalemate between al-Sadr and his opponents left Iraq without a government for the longest time in the post-Saddam Hussein era. Outgoing Prime Minister Mustafa al-Qadimi called for a “national dialogue” in an effort to bring all sides together to talk, and on Wednesday he spoke with President Barham Saleh. Both men stressed the importance of “guaranteeing security and stability” in the country, according to the official Iraqi News Agency. However, Jabari said it was now clear that al-Sadr, as well as his representatives, were not going to engage in “any form of national dialogue at this stage”. Earlier on Wednesday, the United Nations mission in Iraq called on leaders to put their country first and end the long-running power struggle. “Meaningful dialogue between all Iraqi parties is now more urgent than ever, as recent events have shown the rapid risk of escalation in this tense political climate,” the UN mission warned.
