The people do not want you: Iraqi demonstrators chanting against Sadr in Najaf

Islam Muhammad

In a controversial move, the Iraqi Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr joined on Tuesday thousands of demonstrators in the city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, announcing the adoption of the demands of protesters against the government.

Sadr: From Iran to Najaf

After disembarking from a plane coming from Iran, Sadr joined the demonstrations in the city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, as part of a protest movement that has recorded about 250 deaths so far, and invited Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the second largest parliamentary bloc, to help in a vote of no confidence from Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, as thousands of anti-government protesters rallied in the streets for the fifth day in a row.

Sadr said in a statement to Abdul-Mahdi, “I thought that your demand for early elections to preserve your dignity, but if you refuse, I invite Brother Hadi al-Amiri; to cooperate to withdraw confidence from you immediately.”

But the prime minister replied on Tuesday, 29 October 2019, that he could not do this, and that the parliament should decide to do so, and responded to Sadr in a statement saying: “If the goal of elections to change the government, there is a shorter way, that is to allow your agreement with brother Amiri to form a new government, and then the Prime Minister can submit his resignation and receive the new government within days, if not say hours of the achievement of this agreement.”

Early elections

As for the call for early elections, the Iraqi Prime Minister said: “early elections are unknown, when it will be possible? Will the full terms be agreed? Will the results come decisive? And other things may leave us in front of large unknowns.”

Abdul-Mahdi came to power a year ago, as a compromise; to resolve the political crisis between Sadr, who leads an alliance of his followers and communists and other parties, and Amiri, who leads an alliance of leaders of Shiite factions supported by Iran.

It is worth mentioning that since the beginning of the movement, the demonstrators have rejected any attempt by any party to ride the wave, and are keen to maintain its popular character, and demand the change of the monopoly ruling class of power, since the US occupation in 2003.

The demonstrators said that Sadr’s attempt to ride the wave, was aimed at nullifying the movement, and some young people tried to expel them.

Sadr’s first political pressure was on Saturday, when deputies from the cleric’s bloc, Sairoun, decided to start a sit-in in parliament, which in turn demanded the prime minister come to the House of Representatives for accountability.

Scrawny review

For his part, the researcher in the Iranian affairs Mohammad Alaeddin said, “What Sadr is doing, is the disregard and contempt for the blood of hundreds of people who have fallen in the demonstrations of the Iraqi people.

He added to the Reference, that Iran is trying to steal the movement, through the intervention of Sadr, who has four ministers in that government.