Sadr supporters march in Baghdad as parliament expected to vote on new cabinet

By Bahman Hassan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Hundreds of angry protesters took to the streets of Baghdad on Tuesday – part of a proclaimed million-man march – warning that parliament must vote on a technocratic government today, sources told Rudaw.

As protesters, who had poured into the capital on the orders of Muqtada al-Sadr, vented their anger with chants at the city’s giant Tahrir Square, an estimated 10,000 fighters loyal to the firebrand Shiite cleric surrounded the venue, in the name of providing security for the anti-government demonstrations.

Witnesses said that security in the capital was stable, but demonstrators were calling for the tearing down of the blast walls surrounding Baghdad’s Green Zone, the heavily fortified section of the city that houses many government building and foreign embassies.

Sadr has warned that his supporters will attack ministries if demands for reform are not met. Last week, pro-Sadr protesters shut down six ministries

Protests have continued in the capital since last month, when Sadr staged a sit-in inside Baghdad’s the Green Zone, demanding that Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi throw out corrupt officials and announce a new cabinet.

The Iraqi Parliament is set to go in session Tuesday under the presidency of Salim Jabouri, the house speaker who is himself under fire from factions calling for his resignation.

Tuesday’s session is expected to vote on Abadi proposed reforms and a new cabinet that he has announced which he has reassured is a “technocratic government.”

A Kurdish MP in Baghdad told Rudaw he believed that the voting would go ahead because the session is expected to obtain a quorum.

"As the meeting held last night between the head of parliamentary factions and the parliament speaker, in today's session a quorum is expected," said Nawzad Rasul, the Kurdish MP.

Abadi is expected to present two lists – one that he has put together in consultation with other political parties and another that contains no Kurdish nominees, with the understanding that Kurdish ministers would not be replaced.

Rasul said that Kurdish MPs were expected to vote in favor of the second list of names.

"The Kurdish leadership and the president of the Kurdistan Region share that view,” he said.

But parliament still remains divided over whether Jabouri should remain as speaker or be replaced by his rival, Adnan al-Janabi.

MPs opposed to Jabouri who have been boycotting the parliamentary sessions are expected to meet separately Tuesday “in a session to be presided by Adnan al-Janabi,” said Iraqi MP Mashaan al-Juburi. That vote will be to choose a new speaker of parliament – most likely Janabi.