The United Nations Mission in Iraq calls for "urgent solutions to the crisis" in the country

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Wednesday called on the political class to find "urgent solutions to the crisis" through dialogue between the political parties, amid sharp differences among them over the nomination of a new prime minister for the country.

Since Saturday, supporters of religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr have controlled the parliament building in protest against the name of the Coordination Framework Alliance candidate for prime minister.

In an attempt to get out of the crisis, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, who is in charge of the caretaker government, called on the political parties to enter into a "national dialogue."

And the Iraqi News Agency reported on Wednesday that Hadi Al-Amiri, the leader of one of the prominent factions in the pro-Iranian Al-Fateh Alliance, who is part of the coordination framework, announced his support for Al-Kazemi's initiative.

Al-Amiri said in a statement, "We confirm what we affirmed earlier that there is no solution to the current crisis except by calming tensions and restraining and sitting at the table of serious constructive dialogue."

"Therefore, we support what was stated in the Prime Minister's statement... regarding the recent events taking place in the country," he added.

In its statement, the United Nations mission considered that "the meaningful dialogue between all Iraqi parties is now more urgent than ever, as recent events have shown the rapid danger of escalation in this tense political climate."

"We call on all actors to commit, participate effectively, and agree on solutions without delay," she added.

Iraq has been witnessing a political crisis and tension since the last legislative elections in October 2021, due to differences over the election of a new president and prime minister for the next government.

On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters supporting the Sadrist movement continued to sit in the parliament building for the fifth day in a row, as witnessed by an AFP journalist.

This comes the day after the Sadrist movement called on its supporters to withdraw from the main halls of Parliament and to sit around the building and in nearby parks within 72 hours.

The UN mission warned the political parties that "Iraq cannot accept the possibility that another national dialogue will be in vain. Iraqis do not need continuous power struggles or confrontations."

She added, "Iraq has a long list of outstanding domestic issues: for example, Iraq is in dire need of economic reform, public services, as well as approving the federal budget."

And because a new government has not been formed for the country, Iraq is still dependent on the 2021 budget, which was set according to the price of a barrel of oil much lower than it is currently in global markets, which means that public spending is much less than it could be.

In order to continue securing urgent needs, Parliament passed the Emergency Support Law in June, which includes provisions for importing energy from abroad, importing grain, and financing development programs such as urban rehabilitation projects in Baghdad.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Prime Minister held talks with the President of the Republic, Barham Salih, during which they stressed the importance of "ensuring security and stability" in the country.

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