Compiled by: Sahar Yaghoubi
The parliament building in Baghdad has been besieged by hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators, many of whom are supporters of Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr.
On Wednesday, demonstrators opposed to a rival bloc’s choice for prime minister broke through security to reach the Green Zone in the capital city.
Earlier, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had urged demonstrators to “immediately evacuate” from the Green Zone.
For the “protection of state institutions and foreign embassies and to avoid any damage to security and order,” he said the security forces will be on the job.
In the Iraqi parliamentary election held in October 2021, Al-coalition Sadr’s gained 73 seats, making it the biggest group in the 329-seat legislature.
However, efforts to create a new administration have stagnated since the referendum.
The protestors are against the pro-Iran Coordination Framework’s choice for prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, a former minister and ex-provincial governor.
