Iraqi protesters storm parliament, denouncing the appointment of a new prime minister

Baghdad, Iraq
CNN
–

Hundreds of angry protesters loyal to the powerful Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr They stormed the heavily protected Green Zone in Baghdad on Wednesday, denouncing the nomination of a new prime minister.

Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani was formally nominated to lead the country on Monday by the Coordination Framework, the largest Shiite alliance in the Iraqi parliament.

His nomination followed the mass resignation of Sadr’s parliamentary bloc, a group of more than 70 lawmakers who withdrew from the ruling council last month in an apparent show of force after months of political deadlock.

Iraq struggled to form a new government Since the parliamentary elections in October; Al-Sadr’s own attempts to form a government have faltered in the past amid opposition from rival blocs.

If the thoracic mass remains [in parliament] “An obstacle in the way of forming a government, all the bloc’s deputies are honorably ready to resign from parliament,” Sadr said in a televised speech in June.

The cleric, who positions himself against Iran and the United States, is very popular. His bloc’s success in the October vote threatened to marginalize the Iran-aligned Shiite blocs that had long dominated the oil-rich country’s politics.

On Wednesday, al-Sadr told protesters in the parliament building that their “message” had arrived and that they should go home.

A reformist revolution and the rejection of injustice and corruption. The message has been received. You have terrorized the corrupt. Pray, and go home in peace.”

The government of the outgoing Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi also issued a statement calling on the Sadrist demonstrators to “immediately withdraw from the Green Zone”, preserve public and private property and abide by the instructions of the security forces.

Al-Kazemi added that “the security forces will be committed to protecting state institutions and international missions and preventing any disturbance of security and order.”