Barham Salih warns of unknown and dangerous labyrinths..Al-Kazemi suspends cabinet sessions

Al-Sadr withdraws from political life and announces a curfew in all of Iraq

Security forces fire tear gas at al-Sadr's followers as they protest inside the government palace.

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In a statement yesterday, Iraqi President Barham Salih called on all Iraqis to abide by calm, restraint and prevent escalation, and to ensure that the situation does not slip into unknown and dangerous mazes in which everyone will lose, after the cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's decision to withdraw from political life led to the outbreak of clashes between his supporters. And his opponents, while the government announced a curfew throughout the country, and Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi suspended government sessions.

In his statement, Salih said that peaceful demonstration and expression of opinion is a constitutionally guaranteed right, while adhering to the laws and maintaining public security, but disrupting state institutions is a dangerous matter that puts the country and citizens' interests in grave danger.

The Iraqi president called on the demonstrators to withdraw from official institutions, and allow the security forces to carry out their duty to maintain security, order and public property.

Saleh said that the developments of events impose on the national forces a double responsibility to rise above differences in the interest of what is more precious and precious, for the sake of the country, “prevent violence and spare the precious blood of Iraqis, adopt careful positions that protect the homeland, and preserve the peaceful, democratic, constitutional path for which our people sacrificed dearly and preciously. It should not be neglected under any circumstances.

The Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, called during an emergency meeting of the security leaders at the headquarters of the joint operations, to discuss recent events and the entry of demonstrators to government institutions, “the demonstrators to immediately withdraw from the Green Zone, not to confuse the general situation in the country, and to endanger societal peace,” according to Statement by the Iraqi government.

Al-Kazemi, an ally of Sadr who leads a caretaker government, said that he directed the suspension of cabinet sessions until further notice, after “demonstrators entered the government palace” yesterday.

It is noteworthy that Iraq announced a curfew in all parts of the country after al-Sadr's supporters stormed the government's Green Zone in central Baghdad and besieged the Iraqi government building, which led to putting all military units on high alert.

Young men loyal to al-Sadr, who took to the streets in protest of al-Sadr's decision, clashed with supporters of the "coordination framework", which is considered pro-Iran, and witnesses told AFP about an exchange of fire between the two sides.

The two sides also exchanged stones outside the Green Zone in Baghdad, which houses many ministries and embassies.

Correspondents said the sound of gunfire echoed across central Baghdad.

Some appeared to have been shot in the air, although the source of the shooting is not yet clear in a country awash with weapons.

The clashes took place hours after al-Sadr announced his withdrawal from politics, prompting his supporters, who have been camping for weeks inside the parliament headquarters in the Green Zone, to demonstrate and storm the main headquarters of the Council of Ministers.

During the crisis over the formation of the new government, al-Sadr mobilized his legions of supporters, negatively impacting Iraq's efforts to recover after decades of conflict and sanctions and its attempt to address sectarian divisions and endemic corruption.

Al-Sadr was the biggest winner in the elections that took place in October, but he withdrew all his deputies from parliament in June after he failed to form a government of his choice that excluded his opponents, most of whom are religious parties loyal to Iran.

Al-Sadr insists on holding early elections, dissolving parliament and excluding any politician who has held office since the US invasion in 2003.

Al-Sadr said in a statement via Twitter: "I am now declaring my final retirement and closing all institutions," criticizing other political leaders for not responding to his calls for reform.

He did not elaborate on the closure of his offices, but added that some of his cultural and religious institutions would remain open.

Al-Sadr had announced earlier his withdrawal from politics or the government and the dissolution of the factions loyal to him, but he retains wide influence within state institutions and still has an armed faction whose members are estimated at several thousand.

Al-Sadr often returned to his political activism after similar announcements, although the current political crisis in Iraq appears to be insoluble compared to previous periods of paralysis.

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