The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, directed the suspension of official working hours in all official institutions, today, Sunday, after thousands of Sadrists stormed the Green Zone and announced a sit-in inside the parliament headquarters.
Iraqi political parties called for a serious dialogue to spare the country any potential risks after storming the Green Zone and Parliament, while Mustafa Al-Kazemi held the political blocs responsible for the escalation and demanded them to make concessions to overcome the crisis.
These developments came, especially on the part of the Sadrist movement's supporters, as an expression of their rejection of Muhammad al-Sudani's nomination as prime minister.
Thousands of Sadrists stormed the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, and entered the parliament hall, for the second time within days.
As the situation escalated, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi delivered a speech in which he held the political blocs responsible for the escalation, and demanded that they give priority to the language of dialogue and make concessions to overcome the crisis.
Al-Kazemi urged the demonstrators not to clash with the security forces and to protect state institutions.
For his part, Iraqi President Barham Salih called on the country's political parties to hold a national dialogue and give priority to the language of reason. The Iraqi president stressed that the required dialogue between the political parties should discuss the roots of the crisis that the country has witnessed during the last period, noting that the situation in Iraq calls for serious work towards correcting the tracks, fighting corruption and consolidating the values of the state.
For his part, Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi announced the suspension of Parliament sessions until further notice.
Al-Halbousi indicated that this decision was taken out of national and political responsibility and a commitment to the constitutional oath in preserving the interests of the people.
In response to the Sadrist movement's protests, parties in the coordination framework called for a demonstration in defense of what they described as the state, its legitimacy and its institutions.
However, the head of the Al-Fateh Alliance and one of the leaders of the framework, Hadi Al-Amiri, called for calm and restraint.
In turn, the head of the Victory Alliance, former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, expressed his willingness to bridge the views between the Sadrist movement and the coordination framework to end the crisis.
And yesterday, Saturday, Al-Kazemi directed to suspend the official working hours in all official institutions, for Sunday, with the exception of security institutions, and that the percentage of service and health departments should be 50%.
Al-Kazemi’s decision came hours after the Sadrist movement announced the start of an open sit-in inside Parliament, following its storming, on Saturday, by demonstrators calling for the overthrow of the political class.
He also called on all leaders and political blocs to an urgent national meeting, noting the necessity of giving priority to the interests of the country and meeting over one opinion that preserves Iraq and the capabilities of the people.
The "Sky News Arabia" correspondent in Baghdad reported that intermittent confrontations took place between the demonstrators and the force charged with protecting the Green Zone, pointing out that the sounds of tear gas canisters were heard whenever the demonstrators tried to reach the area.
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