Civil Society parties call for dissolving the parliament, holding new elections

Shafaq News/ The civil society parties that demonstrated today in Al-Firdaws Square in central Baghdad renewed their call to dissolve the "helpless" parliament and hold early elections.

Ten parties signed a joint statement, the Iraqi Communist Party, the National House, the Social Democratic Movement, the Iraqi Nation Party, the Going To Take My Right (Nazel Akhod Haqi) Movement, the Faili Movement, the Iraqi House, the Consultative Council for Tishreen Movements, the National Civil Movement and the Tishreen Democratic Movement."

The statement said the "system is in dire need of fundamental reforms due to adopting the quota approach, violation of the constitution and laws, as well as sectarian and racist bias, that would lead to the collapse and conflicts among political forces."

The Civil Society forces stressed the need to dissolve the "helpless" parliament and hold "free and fair elections that reflect the representation of the Iraqis."

On Friday, Iraqis of different political backgrounds stormed the streets in different governorates.

Hundreds of supporters of the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, demonstrated in Baghdad, Diyala, Maysan, and Dhi Qar.

The demonstrators raised banners calling for reform, dissolving the parliament, and rejecting the "corrupt" quota.

The civil society parties also demonstrated in the center of Baghdad, agreeing with Al-Sadr's demand to dissolve the Iraqi parliament and end the "quota principle."

In turn, the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) supporters demonstrated in Baghdad, then declared an open-ended sit-in at the entrance of the Green Zone.

Our correspondent said hundreds of CF followers gathered and waved banners calling for "forming a national service government to fight high prices, unemployment and the lack of electricity."

Friday's demonstrations were the latest in a series of protests that have raised fears of unrest if the political stalemate continues. 

Al-Sadr emerged as the biggest winner from October's election but failed to form a government free of Iran-backed parties. He withdrew his 73 lawmakers from parliament and is now preventing it from electing a new government and is demanding early elections.

Sadr's opponents also accuse him of corruption. They say his loyalists have run some of Iraq's most corrupt government departments.