UN urges Iraqis to expedite national dialogue to end political deadlock

Political infighting has been wreaking havoc in country since national elections in October

A woman holds an Iraqi flag as supporters of Iraqi populist leader Moqtada al-Sadr gather during a sit-in at the parliament building, amid political crisis in Baghdad, Iraq August 3, 2022. REUTERS / Ahmed SaadShow less

The UN mission to Iraq on Wednesday called for national dialogue between the country’s political rivals to find a solution to the stalemate over the formation of a new government.

Political infighting has been wreaking havoc in Iraq since the October national elections — the fifth since the US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.

The conflict reached worrying levels last week, when followers of the powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr breached the heavily fortified Green Zone, occupied the parliament building and staged an open-ended sit-in.

Following his inability to form a new government after becoming the clear winner in the elections — with 73 seats in the 329-seat legislative body — Mr Al Sadr ordered his MPs to resign in June.

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  Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr hold a sit-in protest in Baghdad, Iraq. AP

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  Mr Al Sadr told his followers to continue their sit-in protest inside Iraq's government zone. Reuters

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  The influential Shiite cleric, whose bloc won the highest number of seats in Iraq's elections last year, called for the dissolution of the parliament and early elections. Reuters

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  Iraqis whip themselves with chains during the Ashura commemoration period outside the Iraqi parliament, as Mr Al Sadr's supporters occupy the building for a fifth consecutive day. AFP

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  Ashura, which is usually observed on the streets and around revered shrines, is taking place in the entrance hall of Baghdad's parliament this year. AFP

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  A Iraqi toddler holds the country's flag inside the parliament building. AFP

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  Mr Al Sadr wants to change the system for selecting a new prime minister and has called for a revision of the constitution, which was adopted two years after the US-led invasion in 2003. AFP

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  Mr Al Sadr's followers rest inside the parliament building during the protest. AP

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  Supporters of a political alliance of Iran-backed groups attempt to storm government areas in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq. AP

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  Supporters of the Shiite Co-ordination Framework take part in a counter-protest against Al Sadr loyalists outside the Green Zone. AFP

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  Iraqi security forces spray water on Co-ordination Framework supporters to prevent them from storming government areas in the Green Zone. AP

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  Co-ordination Framework supporters attempt to storm government areas in the Green Zone in Baghdad. AP

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  Security forces managed to avoid escalation while holding protesters back, after the Iraqi prime minister ordered them to refrain from using live bullets. AP

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  Mr Al Sadr's supporters chant pro-peace slogans during a protest in Basra, Iraq. AP

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  Thousands of Mr Al Sadr supporters breached the Green Zone on Saturday to protest against the Co-ordination Framework's candidate for the post of prime minister. EPA

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  The Co-ordination Framework called for counter-protests on Monday near parliament, raising fears of possible clashes. EPA

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  Iraqi security forces stand guard as Mr Al Sadr's supporters gather in front of the parliament building in Baghdad. EPA

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  Security forces use water cannon to prevent supporters of the Co-ordination Framework from entering the Green Zone. AFP

He blamed his rivals, the Iran-backed Co-ordination Framework, for hindering his efforts to form a government through lawsuits and parliamentary session boycotts.

After Mr Al Sadr's supporters stormed parliament, tension escalated further on Monday when the Co-ordination Framework launched counter-protests outside the Green Zone, accusing the Shiite leader of staging a “coup” for demanding an overhaul to the political system and changes to the constitution.

The Green Zone is home to key government buildings including the Cabinet and the parliament as well as foreign embassies and senior politicians' residencies.

“Meaningful dialogue among all Iraqi parties is now more urgent than ever, as recent events have demonstrated the rapid risk of escalation in this tense political climate,” the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (Unami) said in a statement.

It chastised political parties for not observing the “democratic basics such as constitutional compliance and respect for state institutions”.

“Their failure to move forward has had a clear adverse effect on public trust,” it added.

Unami stressed that the need to find solutions through an all-inclusive dialogue “is evident” and said that without it, “the state of Iraq will continue to be dominated by competing interests, leading to further instability, with the people paying the price”.

“Such a scenario is simply intolerable,” it said.

“Iraqis do not need continued power struggles or stand-offs. They need solutions, and a commitment to implementing them, to draw their country out of its political crisis.”

'He is the only one with integrity'

Mr Al Sadr has yet to respond publicly to calls for dialogue with his rivals. His aides told the protesters that their demands should be met before any dialogue begins.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters continued their sit-in for the fifth consecutive day.

The at times carnival-like protests have included demonstrators chanting Sadrist rhetoric but also expressing anger over the dysfunctional political system, poor public services and weak economy in the oil-rich, corruption-plagued country.

Ali Mohammed Oklah, 43, left behind his wife and three children to make the four-hour drive from Iraq's mostly Shiite south to the usually ultra-secure Green Zone.

“I'm rebelling to free my country from the fangs of the corrupt,” the Islamic studies high schoolteacher told AFP. He also wants Iraq to adopt a new constitution and update the presidential system.

Leaning back in a chair inside the legislative chamber, Umm Ali, 47, said she has come to demonstrate alongside her husband, brothers and nephews.

She vowed they would stay “until the Sayyed tells us to withdraw”, using the honorary title for Mr Al Sadr, whose black turban marks him as a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.

A portrait of Mr Al Sadr sat in the lap of the mother of seven.

“He is the only one with integrity,” said the woman, who lives in Baghdad's working-class Sadr City district, named after the preacher's late father, also a revered cleric.