Demonstrations took place by followers of the Sadrist movement - led by Muqtada Al-Sadr - in Tahrir Square (in the center of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad).
In support of a call launched by the protests committee of the Sadrist movement, which decided to run in the elections next June, after withdrawing from a previous decision not to participate in them.
Al-Sadr believes that his movement will seek to win these elections, enabling him to lead the next government.
In a speech delivered on his behalf in Tahrir Square, Sheikh Khudair Al-Ansari, Al-Sadr called on his followers to save themselves by supporting what he described as the recent reform call to save the political process.
Al-Sadr said that this matter would be achieved through achieving a parliamentary majority for the Sadr Movement, which believes in reform.
Since this morning, supporters of the Sadrist movement flocked to Tahrir Square (the protest center in Baghdad), to support the movement’s wide participation in the upcoming elections, so that the movement could appoint a "Sadrist" prime minister.
Part of the Sadrist movement's rally in Tahrir Square (Reuters)
The Charter of the
Movement The Sadrists presented groups from different regions of Baghdad, most notably Sadr City, which represents the most prominent public weight for the leader of the movement in Baghdad, as well as those coming from the provinces near Baghdad, such as Wasit Governorate.
And taking into account the precautionary measures in the face of the Corona virus, health teams and volunteers spread in the square and its surroundings to sterilize the place, and to ensure social distancing, while the crowds of Sadrists spread out on the ground to hold Friday prayers, under the Freedom Monument (central Baghdad), preparing to hold a large demonstration after the prayer.
Precautionary measures against Corona were present at a gathering today in Tahrir Square (Reuters)
The director of al-Sadr’s office in the capital, Baghdad, Ibrahim al-Jabri says that the gathering comes in response to al-Sadr’s call to hold Friday prayers, as well as to deliver various messages, after the recent confusion about the current’s position in the Iraqi street has increased, indicating that the gathering confirms that the masses remain with any project adopted by al-Sadr. Especially the reform project.
Al-Jabri added, in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that Muqtada al-Sadr is seeking to change the equation of the inability of prime ministers throughout the previous years to choose their ministers, and to work freely and independently from the influence of the parties, which was repeated with the current government, headed by Mustafa Al-Kazemi, indicating that Al-Sadr is determined this time. To bring about an "independent government that serves the Iraqi people."
The Sadrist movement has a semi-permanent feminist presence in large events, which was observed in today's gathering (Al-Jazeera Net)
Parliamentary majority,
says Sabah Al-Ugaili, who came to Tahrir Square and is a member of the House of Representatives for the "Sairoun" coalition supported by Al-Sadr;
The assembly today is a preparation for the masses at a high level for the next electoral phase, especially since all the previous stages did not do justice to the current due to the previous election law.
Al-Aqili added to Al-Jazeera Net that the Sadrist movement is able in the upcoming elections to guarantee 100 seats or more, considering that this is a natural entitlement for the current in Iraq, which represents about 5 million Sadr supporters who are entitled to vote.
Regarding the possibility of preventing the Sadrist movement from forming a government in the event that it obtained a parliamentary majority, the representative of the "Sairoun" coalition indicated that the war against the current began since it won in the previous elections 54 seats in parliament out of 329, and some felt the weight of the movement in the square, indicating "The current law guarantees real and fair votes, not only for the Sadrist movement, but for everyone."
Sadr's supporters while performing Friday prayers in Tahrir Square today (Reuters)
Al-Sadr's sermon, and Al-Sadr
’s speech mentioned confirmation of direction and action to win the upcoming legislative elections, and achieving the parliamentary majority to name the prime minister from his current.
"We are obligated to defend the homeland under the parliament, with a Sadrist majority," Sadr said in a statement of the Friday prayer sermon, which he addressed to thousands of his followers in Tahrir Square in Baghdad and the rest of the provinces.
He added that he wanted his movement to acquire the post of prime minister, and to "be fair patriarchy who loves her country and wants it prestige, independence, sovereignty and prosperity without corruption, riot, occupation, terrorism or violence."
He added, "We defend peacefully, and we want everyone to be guided. Murder and violence are the last of ironing, and we are not about it."
The leader of the Sadrist movement had declared months ago that it was impossible to participate in any future elections, but his recent decision, which pawned the participation of his movement in the elections with indications that they could obtain a parliamentary majority, raised questions about the movement’s chances of winning the first executive position in Iraq.
pic.twitter.com/UcBWICoOh8
- Muqtada al-Sayed Muhammad al-Sadr (@Mu_AlSadr) November 22, 2020
Modifying the position,
but Al-Sadr changed his mind in a statement posted on Twitter on November 22, in which he said, "If life remains and I will follow events closely and accurately. If I find that the elections will result in a (Sadrist) majority in the House of Representatives, and they will obtain On the premiership, and therefore I will be able, with their help, and as we have pledged together, to complete the reform project from within; I will decide your running for the elections. "
He added, "The reason that led to my oath not to enter the elections will disappear, and I will be in a solution by myself, and that is only to rid Iraq of corruption, dependence and deviation."
Addressing his supporters by saying, "Oh beloved, religion, sect and the homeland are in danger, and you are all shepherds and all of you are responsible for his flock."
Thousands of supporters of the Sadrist movement commented on social media of their readiness to run in the elections to ensure the arrival of a prime minister from the movement, and then came a public call from the Central Committee overseeing popular protests in the Sadrist movement to hold the current gathering.
Regarding the reasons for reviewing the numbers of audiences, political analyst Ammar Ali says that the Sadrist movement seeks to keep its audiences in a state of attachment to its political, religious and social principles, and this is reinforced by the continuous tweets of the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, and assigning one of his trustees to manage a page that permanently communicates with the supporters of the movement.
Ali suggested - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that there is a kind of anxiety among the leaders of the Sadrist movement about losing part of their masses, especially the youth, who accompanied the events of the "October demonstrations" towards civil and social currents that rejected the political approach of Islamic parties to participate in power for years.