The Prime Minister renews the call for national dialogue

The Iraqi judiciary suspends its work, and Al-Kazemi urges calm

A crowd of Sadr's followers during a protest outside the headquarters of the Supreme Judicial Council.

EPA

The Iraqi judiciary suspended its work yesterday, after supporters of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr intensified pressure on him to dissolve parliament in one of the worst political crises since the US-led invasion.

Al-Sadr helped stoke tensions in Iraq in recent weeks by ordering thousands of his supporters to storm parliament, preventing the formation of a government nearly 10 months after the elections.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, who cut short a visit to Egypt to address the crisis, urged all parties to remain calm and renewed the call for national dialogue.

Al-Kazemi said in a statement that "disrupting the work of the judicial institution exposes the country to real risks."

Al-Sadr's followers began gathering to protest outside the headquarters of the Supreme Judicial Council and the Federal Supreme Court in Baghdad.

The judiciary said in a statement that al-Sadr's supporters had sent threats over the phone.

The statement added, "The meeting decided to suspend the work of the Supreme Judicial Council, the courts affiliated with it, and the Federal Supreme Court in protest against these unconstitutional actions that violate the law, and to hold the government and the political supporter behind this sit-in legally responsible for the consequences of this behavior."

Al-Sadr, who fought US forces and became one of Iraq's choice decision-makers, called early elections and unspecified amendments to the constitution after his deputies withdrew from parliament in June.

"People are calling for the dissolution of parliament and the immediate formation of an interim government," said one of the protesters, draped in an Iraqi flag.

"Help us, support us, don't be afraid of anyone," one protester said to another.

Al-Sadr's political opponents refused to respond to his demands, which raised fears of renewed unrest and violence in Iraq, exhausted by conflicts.

The 10-month period of confrontation in Iraq since the elections is the longest period for Iraq without a fully functioning government in nearly two decades since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.

Al-Sadr was the biggest winner in last year's elections, but he was unable to form a government.

Al-Sadr, who has unparalleled influence in Iraq, can mobilize hundreds of thousands of his supporters to organize protests and paralyze the country's political scene.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news