Iraq: Al-Sadr warns of 'unspecific consequences' if parliament not dissolved

Moqtada Al-Sadr, an influential Iraqi leader on Wednesday threatened ramifications provided the country's judicial body failed to dissolve the national parliament "by the end of next week". This comes as the populist leader inflamed tensions in the West Asian country further calling for fresh elections as soon as possible. The Shiite cleric reportedly commanded thousands of his followers to storm the parliament building, force-stopping formation of an "anti-Sadrist" government even after 9 months of the general elections.

"The judiciary should work towards dissolving the Parliament by end of next week... If not, the revolutionaries will ensure consequences... Also, the president should set date for an early election," Al-Sadr said in a Twitter post.

Al-Sadr, the leader of who is known as the Sadrists, threatened that his "loyalists" are preparing for a new wave of escalated protests unless the demands were met urgently. According to Al-Monitor, the cleric's remarks came after his historical foe and former PM of Iraq Nouri-al-Maliki demanded the parliament to begin "normal operations" in order to ensure early elections.

To note, Moqtada on August 3, reaffirmed his willingness to "be martyred" for his cause in a televised conference from Najaf.

Protests in Iraq to escalate amid prolonged political impasse

Hundreds of followers of the Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr on July 31 breached the high-security Parliament building in Baghdad for the second time in less than two days, later approaching the PM's office as the political crisis broiled. The protestors overwhelmed the barriers and settled in the Parliament, with water bottles and hot meals delivered to them. Sloganeering and chanting religious verses continued until evening as protesters claimed to remain in the government building for a "long haul", local media reports said.

The protests came as the political situation remained in the doldrums for nearly 10 months now. Iraq has been unable to form a new government since the elections in October 2021. However, last Wednesday, Al-Sadr's rival and Iran-backed Coordination Framework alliance announced a premier candidate Al-Sudani, which largely infuriated the Al-Sadr followers. The political instability emerged after Al-Sadr, whose bloc had the largest faction (79 seats) in the 329-seat parliament, withdrew its MPs following days of disagreements with the opposition to form a "national majority government."

Image: AP