Iraq: Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr demands the dissolution of parliament

Published on: 08/10/2022 – 17:39 The influential Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr demanded on Wednesday that the courts dissolve Parliament by the end of next week, calling on his supporters to continue their sit- in near the Assembly. As the political paralysis continues in Iraq, the powerful Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr demanded on Wednesday August 10 that justice carry out the dissolution of the national Parliament by the end of next week – a request already made on August 4 . His supporters continue their sit-in near the Assembly. In a context of political crisis in the country, the supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr invaded the Parliament at the end of July, which they occupied before transferring their camp to the gardens of the institution. Moqtada al-Sadr demanded a dissolution of Parliament and early legislative elections. His adversaries in the Coordination Framework, a coalition of influential pro-Iran Shiite factions, agreed to his request under certain conditions. One of the Shiite leader’s rivals – integrated into this alliance – has called for a parliamentary session to study a possible dissolution. “Some might say that the dissolution of Parliament requires a parliamentary session,” the Shiite preacher began in a statement on his Twitter account. . But some blocs, preferring to share power and preserve “corruption” will not “give in to the people’s demand for a dissolution of Parliament”, he accused. A dissolution to “set the date of early elections “Interpellating “the competent judicial authorities”, he therefore demanded this dissolution “within a period not exceeding the end of next week”. This would allow the president “to fix the date of the early elections, according to the conditions which we will announce later”. According to the Constitution, a dissolution of Parliament must be recorded by an absolute majority vote. It can be requested by a third of the deputies, or by the Prime Minister with the agreement of the President of the Republic. Moqtada al-Sadr justified his appeal for justice by recalling that all the deadlines set by the Constitution for appointing a new president and a new head of government had not been respected after the last legislative elections of October 2021. He invited his former deputies and his supporters to file legal proceedings to obtain this dissolution. Ten months after this election, Iraq still awaits the appointment of a Prime Minister and a President, against a backdrop of political quarrels. On Monday, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, historic enemy of Moqtada al-Sadr, indicated that only parliament could discuss early elections. for the post of Prime Minister presented by the Coordination Framework. With AFP