While the popular protest calling for "the fall of the regime" between, Friday, November 1, in its second month, the great Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highest Shia authority in Iraq has warned against foreign interference.

Iraq, rife with demonstrations and violence since 1 October that have already killed more than 250 people, mostly protesters, has been in paralysis for a few days.

Leaders propose social reforms and early elections as protesters in Baghdad and cities in the south of the country camp on a single claim: the fall of the entire political system, divided according to allegiances to the two great allies of Iraq, they - even sworn enemies, Iran and the United States.

"No one represents the people, neither Iran nor the parties nor the religious ones, we want to (recover) our country," AFP Ali Ghazi, a 55-year-old protester in Tahrir Square in Baghdad, insists. Friday, tens of thousands of protesters continue to occupy this place emblematic of the capital, hammering slogans against the political elite.

"180 degree turn"

The challenge, which began with the demand for jobs, services and the end of corruption before promising to "root out" all politicians, is "the most important challenge for the post-2003 system". the US invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein, said Fanar Haddad, expert on Iraq.

But "the politicians do not seem to have realized and are still trying to use the situation to score points against each other," says the expert.

The situation appeared to evolve on Tuesday when Shiite populist Moqtada Sadr and Hashd al-Shaabi pro-Iran paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri separately said they wanted to "work together" to replace Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, whom they had brought to power a year ago.

The latter, for his part, proposed to resign if the parties agreed on a new prime minister. But on Wednesday, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose country exerts a strong influence in Iraq via armed groups and political parties, called "those who feel concerned" to "respond to insecurity" in Iraq.

>> Read: Fronds in Iraq and Lebanon: "Iran finds itself in an awkward position in its sphere of influence"

Immediately, the Iraqi Prime Minister "made a 180 degree turn," said AFP a government official, on condition of anonymity. Since then, Parliament has been calling on the Prime Minister to appear before him in vain. The assembly will meet again Saturday.

"Chasm of the killings"

On Friday, Iraqi Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani said the change must be "the choice of the Iraqis" only. "No one, no group, no regional or international party can confiscate the will of the Iraqis and impose their opinion on them," said the Shiite cleric who happens to make and defeat the prime ministers and has not yet withdrawn his confidence in Abdel Mahdi.

Thursday night, shortly after Iraqi President Barham Saleh's proposal for early elections without convincing in the street, the pressure mounted a notch with a car parade honking under the white flags of Hashd in Baghdad. This demonstration of force made the protesters fear the beginning of a movement that would oppose theirs.

>> Read: Protests in Iraq: the curfew in Baghdad, night of violence in Kerbala

Since the beginning of the protest, various armed factions have demonstrated force, including Moqtada Sadr's Peace Brigades, which protesters accused of seeking to recover their spontaneous movement. On Friday, the grand ayatollah called "the competent authorities not to push fighting forces regardless of their names against peaceful protesters" to "not drag the country into the abyss of internal killings."

With AFP