Yesterday, the religious authority in Iraq renewed its call for legislative elections as soon as possible to resolve the political crisis that has rocked the country since the start of the anti-government protest movement four months ago, and condemned the use of force to evacuate protest camps across the country, while strengthening forces Security measures against protesters.

In detail, the religious authority, Ali Sistani, said in his Friday prayer sermon, which was read by his representative, Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalai, that "it is imperative to speed up the early elections so that the people can say their words."

He added, "The formation of the new government must be speeded up," and "taking the necessary steps to conduct free and fair elections as soon as possible."

He added, "It is imperative that the early elections be speeded up so that the people say their word, and that the next parliament, which emanates from its free will, is concerned with taking the necessary steps for reform."

He said that the next parliament will be able to "issue the crucial decisions that determine the future of the country, especially with regard to maintaining its sovereignty and the independence of its political decision."

The Marjaiya invitation comes as a simulation of the demands of the demonstrators in Baghdad and the Shiite-dominated cities of the south, who are demanding early parliamentary elections and an independent figure in place of the resigned Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi.

And Iraqi parties are holding last-minute talks to name a new prime minister, after Iraqi President Barham Salih set a deadline of February 1 for the political blocs to present their alternative candidate from Adel Abdul-Mahdi.

An official in the office of the President of the Republic said, "President Barham Saleh is hosting the leaders of the various political blocs in an attempt to reach a consensus candidate."

Saleh warned the political blocs that he would unilaterally name a new prime minister, if she did not present her candidate.

Abdul-Mahdi submitted his resignation last December, after two months of protests against his government, which witnessed bloody violence.

In the natural case, the Iraqi constitution stipulates that the largest parliamentary bloc be nominated as a candidate for prime minister, within 15 days of the legislative elections, and then the president of the republic is tasked with the prime minister to form his government within one month.

However, the constitution does not mention in its articles the possibility of the resignation of the Prime Minister, and therefore the 15-day period has passed since Abdul-Mahdi’s resignation.

Demand protests continue, in which the younger generation is the active factor, despite the repression and violence that have killed more than 480 people, most of them demonstrators, since the outbreak of the demonstrations on October 1, in Baghdad and cities in the south of the country.

Protesters across Iraq are seeking to topple what they see as a corrupt ruling elite, and to end foreign interference in Iraqi politics, especially by Iran.

Nearly 500 people were killed in the unrest that began in October, as security forces and unidentified gunmen shot dead protesters. At least 11 have been killed since the protests resumed this month.

An Iraqi media survivor of an assassination attempt in Baghdad

Iraqi press sources said yesterday that the TV reporter, Ishtiaq Adel, survived an assassination attempt by masked men who shot her near her Baghdad home.

The sources pointed out that unknown persons, riding a motorbike, shot the TV reporter, Ishtiaq Adel, in front of her house in Baghdad, and escaped the assassination attempt, but she was bruised due to her falling to the ground and was shocked, after the masked men failed to hit her directly.

On Wednesday, a member of the Commission for Human Rights in Iraq, Ali al-Bayati, had documented 171 cases of kidnapping, assassination and violence that accompanied the demonstrations, which Iraq is witnessing for the fourth month in a row. Baghdad ■ d

- The supreme authority: The next parliament will be able to pass the crucial decisions that determine the future of the country, especially with regard to maintaining its sovereignty and the independence of its political decision.