Supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr perform Friday prayers inside Baghdad's Green Zone. They are opposed to the nomination of an ally of Nouri Al Maliki as prime minister. EPA
Supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr perform Friday prayers inside Baghdad's Green Zone. They are opposed to the nomination of an ally of Nouri Al Maliki as prime minister. EPA
Supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr perform Friday prayers inside Baghdad's Green Zone. They are opposed to the nomination of an ally of Nouri Al Maliki as prime minister. EPA
Supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Al Sadr perform Friday prayers inside Baghdad's Green Zone. They are opposed to the nomination of an ally of Nouri Al Maliki as prime minister. EPA

Iraq's former PM calls for an end to sit-in protest at parliament


Robert Tollast
  • English
  • Arabic

Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al Maliki has called for an immediate end to the occupation of parliament so his party and its allies can convene to form the next government.

Thousands of protesters loyal to Shiite cleric and political leader Moqtada Al Sadr stormed parliament on July 30, protesting against the nomination of Muhammad Al Sudani for prime minister.

Mr Al Sudani is a former Cabinet minister regarded as being close to Mr Al Maliki, a political opponent of Mr Al Sadr.

Since then, the protesters have left the parliament building itself, but remain camped outside in Baghdad's Green Zone, the seat of government power that includes offices and residences of Iraq's elites, as well as foreign embassies.

"There is no solution for parliament and no early elections without the return of parliamentary sessions," Mr Al Maliki said on Monday night.

Parliament alone "discusses these demands and what it decides we will execute", he said in a speech marking the Shiite mourning ritual of Ashura.

Mr Al Sadr has also called for early elections after withdrawing his 73 MPs from the 329-member chamber in June, in protest at what he called a corrupt political system.

That placed the rival coalition, the Iran-aligned Co-ordination Framework, in pole position to form the next government after their parties, including Mr Al Maliki’s State of Law coalition, gained Mr Al Sadr’s vacant seats.

As the sit-in continues, Mr Al Sadr said that dissolving the Iraqi parliament has become a popular demand, but Mr Al Maliki has said that few Iraqis are likely to vote in another national election.

October's elections had been called early, following an almost nationwide protest movement against the country's elite, which was met with bloody crackdowns.

  • Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, head of the Sadrist movement, gather inside Iraq's Parliament buliding. EPA
    Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, head of the Sadrist movement, gather inside Iraq's Parliament buliding. EPA
  • The cleric's followers enter the Parliament building in a show of force. EPA
    The cleric's followers enter the Parliament building in a show of force. EPA
  • Anti-riot policemen use water cannons in a bid to disperse supporters of Mr Al Sadr. EPA
    Anti-riot policemen use water cannons in a bid to disperse supporters of Mr Al Sadr. EPA
  • A demonstrator lies on the desk of the Speaker of the Iraqi parliament. AFP
    A demonstrator lies on the desk of the Speaker of the Iraqi parliament. AFP
  • Supporters of Mr Al Sadr flash the victory sign as they gather inside the Iraqi Parliament. AFP
    Supporters of Mr Al Sadr flash the victory sign as they gather inside the Iraqi Parliament. AFP
  • There's always time for a selfie. AFP
    There's always time for a selfie. AFP
  • The demonstrators are protesting the recent selection of Mohammed Al Sudani as the official nominee of the Co-ordination Framework bloc. AFP
    The demonstrators are protesting the recent selection of Mohammed Al Sudani as the official nominee of the Co-ordination Framework bloc. AFP
  • It is the largest protest since federal elections were held in October. AFP
    It is the largest protest since federal elections were held in October. AFP
  • The protesters sit in the building, in Baghdad's high-security Green Zone. AFP
    The protesters sit in the building, in Baghdad's high-security Green Zone. AFP
  • A person holds a portrait of Mr Al Sadr. Reuters
    A person holds a portrait of Mr Al Sadr. Reuters
  • Protesters raise flags and a portrait of Mr Al Sadr. Reuters
    Protesters raise flags and a portrait of Mr Al Sadr. Reuters
  • Al Sadr posted a statement on Twitter telling supporters their message had been received. Reuters
    Al Sadr posted a statement on Twitter telling supporters their message had been received. Reuters
  • People stand outside of the Parliament building during the protest. Reuters
    People stand outside of the Parliament building during the protest. Reuters
  • Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr protest against corruption inside the Parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters
    Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr protest against corruption inside the Parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters
  • Mr Al Sadr's supporters protest against corruption inside the Parliament building in Baghdad. Reuters
    Mr Al Sadr's supporters protest against corruption inside the Parliament building in Baghdad. Reuters
  • Demonstrators protest inside the Parliament building. Reuters
    Demonstrators protest inside the Parliament building. Reuters
  • Protesters demonstrate inside the Parliament building. Reuters
    Protesters demonstrate inside the Parliament building. Reuters
  • Protesters pull down a wall with chains and ropes during a protest against corruption. Reuters
    Protesters pull down a wall with chains and ropes during a protest against corruption. Reuters
  • Supporters of Mr Al Sadr carry a person during a protest against corruption in the Green Zone in Baghdad. Reuters
    Supporters of Mr Al Sadr carry a person during a protest against corruption in the Green Zone in Baghdad. Reuters
  • Iraqi security forces stand outside the main gate of Baghdad's Green Zone as demonstrators protest against the nomination of Mohammed Shia Al Sudani as prime minister. AFP
    Iraqi security forces stand outside the main gate of Baghdad's Green Zone as demonstrators protest against the nomination of Mohammed Shia Al Sudani as prime minister. AFP
  • Mr Al Sadr's supporters gather outside the main gate of Baghdad's Green Zone. AFP
    Mr Al Sadr's supporters gather outside the main gate of Baghdad's Green Zone. AFP
  • Supporters of Mr Al Sadr protest against corruption in Baghdad. Reuters
    Supporters of Mr Al Sadr protest against corruption in Baghdad. Reuters
  • Protesters break down barricades in Baghdad. Reuters
    Protesters break down barricades in Baghdad. Reuters
  • Supporters of Mr Al Sadr demonstrate in Baghdad. Reuters
    Supporters of Mr Al Sadr demonstrate in Baghdad. Reuters
  • Iraqi security forces prepare to meet the demonstrators in Baghdad's Tahrir Square. AFP
    Iraqi security forces prepare to meet the demonstrators in Baghdad's Tahrir Square. AFP
  • Supporters of Mr Al Sadr gather in Baghdad's Tahrir Square to protest against the nomination of Mohammed Shia Al Sudani as prime minister. AFP
    Supporters of Mr Al Sadr gather in Baghdad's Tahrir Square to protest against the nomination of Mohammed Shia Al Sudani as prime minister. AFP
  • Protesters demonstrate in Baghdad. AFP
    Protesters demonstrate in Baghdad. AFP
  • Mr Al Sadr's supporters walk across a bridge to the Green Zone during a protest against corruption in Baghdad. Reuters
    Mr Al Sadr's supporters walk across a bridge to the Green Zone during a protest against corruption in Baghdad. Reuters

The Iraqi constitution stipulates that a legislature can be dissolved only through a vote passed by an absolute majority. A vote can be requested by a third of MPs, or by the prime minister with the president's approval.

Since October’s national elections more than 10 months ago, Iraq’s political parties have been unable to form a government.

Building a government involves selecting a president first, who then announces the largest political bloc in parliament and gives them the task of nominating a prime minister, who then selects Cabinet members.

However, this process has been derailed by political bickering, including claims of electoral fraud and boycotts of parliament. These stopped the election of a president.

A row between Kurdish parties over who to select as president — the Kurds hold the presidency under an informal agreement — and a series of Supreme Court challenges made against candidates nominated by Mr Al Sadr's allies, have further prolonged this process.

Since the US-led invasion of 2003, the position of prime minister has traditionally been held by a Shiite Arab, that of parliamentary speaker by a Sunni Arab and the presidency by a Kurd.

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Turkish Ladies

Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster

Price, base: Dh708,750

Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 374hp (total)

Torque: 570Nm (total)

Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

SPECS

Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman

Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 306hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500

Kanye%20West
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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

While you're here
Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

Under-21 European Championship Final

Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')

RACE RESULTS

1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012 
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps

SPEC%20SHEET
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Updated: August 09, 2022, 7:18 AM