Tens of thousands pray in show of force by Iraq cleric Sadr

Baghdad, Iraq – (AFP):

Tens of thousands attended prayers on Friday in Baghdad’s Green Zone in a show of power by Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr after his adversaries agreed to back his call for early elections conditionally.

Sadr, a longtime political and religious force in Iraq, has for months been in a political standoff with a rival alliance backed by Iran.

Worshippers converged on a vast square inside the normally secure Green Zone, home to government and diplomatic buildings, including the parliament which his followers began occupying on July 30.

“Yes, yes to reform! Sadr’s followers chanted during the prayers.

“No, no to corruption.”

After the prayers, hundreds returned to the vicinity of parliament, which they had occupied since last Saturday.

Finding the doors locked and the building empty, they continued their sit-in, according to a request from their movement.

Sadr’s mass prayer rally follows his demand for early elections — a possibility that the rival bloc says it is conditionally open to, despite the last national polls only taking place about 10 months ago.

Since then, post-election negotiations between Sadr’s bloc — the largest in parliament — and other factions have failed to produce a new government, prime minister and president.

‘Prisoner of the corrupt’ 

The political tensions come as Iraq remains beset by rampant corruption, crumbling infrastructure and unemployment.

As a result of past deals, the Sadrists also have representatives at the highest levels of government ministries and have been accused by opponents of being as corrupt as other political forces.

Supporters of Sadr, however, are ready to follow him almost blindly and view him as a champion of the anti-corruption fight.

Speaking at a lectern, the imam who led the prayer endorsed Sadr’s call for early elections.

“Iraq is a prisoner of the corrupt,” the imam said, denouncing “the scandalous deterioration of public services, health and education”.

Sheikh Ali al-Atabi, 38, joined the throng to support Sadr. Calling people to Friday prayers is “part of his repertoire” when he “wants to use the people for something,” Atabi explained.

Devoted following 

Sadr’s bloc emerged from the October elections as parliament’s biggest, but still far short of a majority.

In June, his 73 lawmakers quit in a bid to break the logjam. That led to a rival bloc, the pro-Iran Coordination Framework, becoming the largest in the legislature.

The Coordination Framework’s nomination of former cabinet minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as prime minister angered the Sadr bloc and triggered the occupation of parliament by his supporters.

With armed groups linked to the various political factions in Iraq, the United Nations has warned that tensions could escalate.

On Wednesday, Sadr called for the dissolution of parliament and new polls. The Coordination Framework late Thursday said they were open to that idea, signalling a potential de-escalation.

But “a national consensus on the question and providing a safe environment” were prerequisites for such polls, it said, also suggesting that the occupation of parliament must end.