Cleric’s call convinces PM to quit amid deadly protests
A day after more than 40 protesters were killed by security forces, Iraq’s prime minister announced yesterday that he would submit his resignation to parliament – a step that carries uncertainty for the entire government and has stirred fears of a possible political crisis.
The move by Adel AbdulMahdi came 13 months after he took office, and followed calls by Iraq’s top Shiite cleric for lawmakers to withdraw their support. At least four protesters were killed in the hours after the announcement in continuing violence in Baghdad and southern Iraq.
Word of the planned resignation triggered celebrations by anti-government protesters who have been camped out for nearly two months in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square. Young men and women broke into song and dance under the sparkle of fireworks in the plaza, the epicentre of their leaderless protest movement, which seeks an end to sectarian government, and election and anti-corruption reforms.
But amid the mirth, protesters said Abdul Mahdi’s decision was a single victory in the long and difficult war aimed at dismantling the post-2003 political system.
‘‘The political system will replace him with someone exactly the same,’’ said Taif, a 39-year-old protester, as jubilant demonstrators waved flags behind him.
‘‘Until this sick system is destroyed, we won’t leave.’’
Nearly 400 people have been killed in the bloody crackdown on protests since October 1, most of them young demonstrators who were shot or hit by exploding tear gas canisters fired by security forces.
In a statement, Abdul-Mahdi said he had ‘‘listened with great concern’’ to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s sermon, and made his decision in response to the cleric’s remarks.
Abdul-Mahdi was Iraq’s fifth prime minister since 2003. He was appointed in October 2018 as a consensus candidate, following months of political wrangling between rival political blocs. If accepted when put to a vote, his resignation would signal a return to square one in the slow-moving negotiations.
He would be the second prime minister in an Arab country to be forced out by mass protests recently. In Lebanon, the resignation of Saad Hariri on October 29 has led to further political gridlock and uncertainty.
In his weekly Friday sermon, delivered via a representative in the holy city of Najaf, Al-Sistani said parliament should ‘‘reconsider its options’’ – a clear sign he was withdrawing his support for the prime minister.
His comments prompted political parties to issue calls for the government to step down.
A former oil and finance minister and vice-president, AbdulMahdi was Iraq’s first prime minister from outside the Dawa party in 12 years.
His administration’s policies were characterised by small gains to improve the day-to-day lives of Baghdadis, and his office worked behind the scenes to streamline administration and improve decision-making. But the effects of those efforts were not visible to an Iraqi public impatient for reform.
Abdul-Mahdi was also often caught in the middle of rising tensions between the United States and Iran, with many perceiving his government and certain staffers as being close to Tehran.
The protesters widely reject growing Iranian influence over Iraqi state affairs.