Renewed protests in Iraq and speculation that Allawi will announce his government

Protests resumed in Baghdad and the cities of the south and central Iraq today, Sunday, in light of reports that the Prime Minister-designate Muhammad Allawi announced his government formation.

The protesters refuse to assign Allawi as prime minister on the grounds that he was nominated by parties in power, and threatened to escalate the protests if his government won confidence in parliament.

Witnesses said that dozens of youths flocked to the Tahrir and Al-Khailani squares in central Baghdad in response to the burning of the protesters' tents on Saturday evening. The Tahrir Square witnessed the joining of hundreds of university students in support of the protesters.

For his part, Commissioner of Human Rights Ali Al-Bayati said that the security forces used late last night - heavily - smoke bombs and "stoning" cartridges (cartridges) against the protesters in Tahrir Square, which resulted in many injuries among the protesters.

Al-Bayati said that the protesters responded to the security forces by throwing Molotov cocktails and stones.

In Dhi Qar Governorate (in the south), a source in the police command said that hundreds of protesters blocked the burning tires, the main lobby road in the center of Nasiriyah (the governorate center) and prevented traffic in it.

The source pointed out that a large march for students of Dhi Qar University came out in support of the protests and the demands of the protesters who refuse to take Allawi as prime minister.

He stated that unknown armed men targeted the house of the parliamentarian for the Islah Alliance, with a sound bomb, without causing any injuries.

And demonstrators stated that unknown persons kidnapped the civil activist Ali Luqman Al-Kishwan in Najaf Governorate (south of Baghdad) after leaving the Sadrin Square, which includes the sit-in of the popular movement in the province.

Allawi’s government
With regard to the formation of the upcoming government, Parliamentarian Mohammed Al-Khaldi suggested that Allawi submit his cabinet formation within the next 48 hours to Parliament to put forward confidence, indicating that negotiations with the political blocs are still ongoing in this regard.

Iraq has witnessed unprecedented protests since the beginning of October 2019, interspersed with violence that left more than 600 people dead, according to the country's President Barham Salih and Amnesty International.

The popular movement insists on the departure and accountability of all political elites accused of corruption and waste of state funds, which have governed since 2003.