Tension rises in Iraq after Muqtada al-Sadr resignation
As Iraq's year-long political crisis draws ever closer, the crowd that has been camped outside Parliament for four weeks, demanding early elections, has once again mobilised. This time to take over the seat of the interim government and the Presidential Palace, which has been located inside the so-called "Green Zone" since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The most secure area in the Iraqi capital, completely surrounded by walls topped with barbed wire, where, in addition to the Presidential Palace, the main offices of the judiciary and the US embassy are also located.
The reason for the new escalation of popular discontent has come, on this occasion, from the resignation of the Shiite cleric and leader of the Saadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr. "I had already decided not to intervene in political affairs", said a statement published by the leader of the most voted parliamentary force in the country on his Twitter account, "but now I announce my definitive withdrawal and the closure of all the institutions of the Bloc", with the exception of religious and cultural institutions, which will remain open.
— مقتدى السيد محمد الصدر (@Mu_AlSadr) August 29, 2022
Al-Sadr's announcement also included harsh criticism of his political opponents, whom he accused of not listening to calls for needed reform. "All parties [including the Saadrist Movement]" should resign from their government posts to help resolve the crisis as soon as possible, the Shia leader said just days ago, and those "who have been part of the political process" since 2003 "should no longer participate in Iraqi politics".
However, given the Shia cleric's background, several analysts have suggested that this could be just another of al-Sadr's strategies to gain more leverage against his rivals. "This resignation comes at a time when the political crisis in Iraq is reaching very high levels," said journalist Mahmoud Abdelwahed, "It can be read in terms of disappointment and frustration within the Saadrist Movement, but, on the other hand, it could also be read as an attempt to try to put more pressure on his rivals".
Sadrists inside ?? Republican Palace calling for revolution. Tension rises in other southern provinces. pic.twitter.com/zvsx4aYO7D
— Samir ALADILI ?? ?? (@ALADILI) August 29, 2022
On Monday, hundreds of Al-Sadr supporters scaled the walls of the Green Zone and stormed the Presidential Palace and the Government Palace for the first time since the beginning of the political crisis, protesting against the cleric's resignation, and again demanding the dissolution of parliament and early elections. Videos released so far on social media show the use of live ammunition, reportedly fired by the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), which have left multiple casualties.
But this is not the first time that Saadrists have taken control of state facilities. The entry of hundreds of pro-Al-Sadr Iraqis into the country's parliament on two occasions in July prevented opposition parties from appointing a new president and prime minister.
In addition, the protests against the Supreme Council of Justice (SCJ) and the Federal Court of Iraq in recent days, which - pressured by Al-Sadr to demand the dissolution of Parliament - temporarily suspended their activity, as a way of denouncing the threats received. This only served to exacerbate the seriousness of a crisis that was already keeping the country with a completely paralysed Parliament and an interim Executive, but which, it seems, will lead the Federal Court to meet on Tuesday 30 August to decide whether this request is within its competence.
In view of this situation, and while UNAMI (United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq) warned that this escalation of tensions, "particularly dangerous", "could jeopardise the survival of the Iraqi state", the Joint Operations Command announced the beginning of "a curfew in the capital, Baghdad, which includes all vehicles and all citizens from 15:30 local time today, Monday", through an official statement, but without indicating the date of the end of this measure.
However, the gravity of the situation and the massive demonstrations - also in the south - have led the Iraqi authorities to extend the curfew in "all provinces of the country" until further notice. Executive sessions have also been suspended, according to statements by the acting prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Since Muqtada al-Sadr took 73 of the 329 seats in the Iraqi parliament last October, the country has been unable to reach an agreement to elect a president and prime minister, either from one political faction or the other. At first, the Saadrist Movement, together with its parliamentary allies, did appear to come close to this appointment, but the bloc of pro-Iranian Shiite opposition forces prevented the votes from going ahead. Faced with this paralysis, al-Sadr asked his parliamentarians in June to resign en bloc, and since then it seems that his main task has been to get the elections reconvened. He refuses to negotiate with pro-Iranian groups over the election of heads of state and government.
Since the US's departure in 2011, al-Sadr has become the only symbol of unwavering power in an Iraq always on the brink of conflict. His 'final withdrawal' now seems to rekindle fears of a new civil war.
