- Tweeter
republish
In the aftermath of the announcement of the resignation of the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, the demonstrators remain cautious and do not forget their initial request: the fall of the whole regime.
In Tahrir Square, the announcement of the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi is seen as a victory. Or rather as a step towards victory. In this place, which has become the epicenter of protests for two months in Baghdad, the demonstrators welcome this political turning point and present it as a direct consequence of their struggle.
None, however, loses sight of the movement's initial demands, which are not aimed at the fall of the government, but "the fall of the entire regime." This announcement of resignation to come has not really changed the atmosphere in Tahrir Square, says our correspondent in Baghdad, Alice Campaignolle . Protesters continue to express their anger against all politicians in Iraq and say they want to remain mobilized until they reach the end of this political system.
Those who were present in Tahrir Square at the time of the announcement of the Prime Minister do not know any more very well if they burst of joy for this resignation or for the victory of their football team, largely supported in the country. Protesters therefore prefer to keep a cool head, and even remain very cautious about these latest statements, regularly reminding that his resignation has not yet been accepted by Parliament.
Continuing demonstrations and blockages
Demonstrations and road blockades continued this Saturday in Baghdad and in the south. In Nassiriya, the home town of the prime minister who was ravaged by violence, thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand "the fall of the regime". A thick black smoke rose above the bridges spanning the Euphrates in the city that borders the ruins of ancient Ur after protesters burned tires. New clashes have left at least 25 injured, according to doctors.
On Thursday and Friday, in Nassiriya and in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, also in the south, 67 people were killed by police fire and men in civilian clothes defending, according to witnesses, the seat of a party. Since October 1 and the beginning of the protest against a political class considered incompetent and corrupt and the decay of public services in particular, more than 420 Iraqis in majority of the demonstrators were killed and thousands wounded in the violence, according to a balance sheet compiled by AFP from medical and police sources.
The protest movement on Friday received strong support from Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's highest Shiite religious authority, who called on Parliament to replace the government of Adel Abdel Mahdi, an independent without a partisan or popular base. It was after this call that the Prime Minister said he was ready to leave his post. To also prevent the South from falling into chaos, with tribal fighters armed to block the road to police reinforcements.
While Adel Abdel Mahdi has convened an exceptional Council of Ministers this Saturday, Parliament must hold a meeting this Sunday. The opposition is calling for a vote of no-confidence, while pro-Iran paramilitaries, the unconditional backers of the prime minister so far, promise " change ."