Shafaq News/ The National Coalition, headed by Ayad Allawi, called on regional and international powers to "respect the will of the Iraqis" by choosing their regime.

In a statement, the Coalition called on all Iraqi parties to conduct a dialogue, put citizens' interests first, respect Iraq's sovereignty and independence, respect the right to peaceful demonstration, and preserve the state's prestige and institutions.

Allawi's Coalition expressed readiness to host a conference for a national dialogue among all parties to agree on standard positions, either by holding a parliamentary session to elect the President of the Republic and then forming a government or by dissolving the Parliament and conducting early elections.

"The head of the Coalition, Ayad Allawi, has good relations with all parties, especially the Coordination Framework and the Sadrist Movement. Therefore, he is fully prepared to host, sponsor and support the national dialogue sessions." The statement added.

The National Coalition called on regional and international powers to "respect Iraq's sovereignty, and the national will of the Iraqi people to choose the regime they want."

The Iraqi street is awaiting what will happen to the situation in the capital, Baghdad, after counter calls from the leader of the Sadrist movement on the one hand and the forces of the Shiite coordination framework, on the other hand, to demonstrate in front of and inside the green walls.

Tensions have worsened since an October election in which al-Sadr's movement emerged as the biggest bloc with 74 of Parliament's 329 seats.

After failing to overturn the result in the courts, the Iran-backed factions set about stymying al-Sadr's efforts to form a government that would include his Kurdish and Sunni allies but excludes groups he described as corrupt or loyal to external forces.

Despite their diminished numbers in Parliament, the Iran-aligned groups managed to frustrate al-Sadr by denying the two-thirds quorum needed to elect a Kurdish head of state - the first step towards forming a government.

Frustrated at the deadlock, Sadr instructed his lawmakers to quit Parliament in June. The move ceded dozens of seats to the Coordination Framework, meaning it could try to form a government of its choosing, though this would risk al-Sadr's wrath.

Al-Sadr's rivals then floated a candidate, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, seen by al-Sadr's supporters as a Maliki loyalist. This step appears to have been the final straw for Sadr supporters, igniting the protests.

In a statement he issued earlier today, al-Sadr, the arch-foe of the Shiite Coordination Framework, instructed his followers to push for a complete overhaul of the political system, including a new constitution, and expel the country's elites whom he condemned as "corrupt."

In response, the Coordination Framework said it will defend "the legitimacy of the Iraqi state" against Muqtada al-Sadr's calls to "overthrow the state and constitution," calling for mass counter-demonstrations today.