ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has called on Iraqi government officials to resign before being dismissed and described them as being unable to "uproot" corruption and provide a decent way of life for Iraqis.
"Resign before being dismissed," Sadr advised the Iraqi government and authorities in a Facebook post on Saturday night.
"If Iraqi officials do not wish to see killing and burning, these corrupt [officials] must protect the protesters and the nation," Sadr said, describing the angry protesters as "a group who wanted dignity, to live well" and have "a homeland without corruption.”
The cleric is known for his staunch opposition to US and Iranian interference in domestic affairs, and was a key figure in the 2016 and 2017 protests that swept the country.
In May 2018, Sadr's Sairoon alliance of Shiites and communists became the biggest bloc in parliament. Although he didn't run for office himself, Sadr emerged as kingmaker, playing a major role in the formation of the federal government.
It was at Sadr's insistence that Abdul-Mahdi became prime minister. He also sought to set the agenda as Iraq emerged from years of ruinous war.
Large gatherings in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Thursday night continued anti-government protests which began earlier this month. The tone of the protests has shifted however, now focusing on ousting the current administration.
More than 60 people have died over the past two days as security forces employ violence to disperse the growing crowds.
Anger has spread beyond the capital, leading to curfews imposed across eight provinces: Basra, Diwaniyah, Muthana, Maysan, Dhi Qar, Karbala, Babylon and Wasit.
Iraqi security forces on Saturday sought to clamp down on protests in Baghdad and across the south on Saturday, a day after dozens died in a bloody resumption of anti-government rallies.
A parliamentary session scheduled for Saturday afternoon to discuss the renewed protests was cancelled after it failed to reach a quorum.
Since anti-government rallies first erupted on October 1, nearly 200 people have died and thousands were wounded in Baghdad and across the country's Shiite-majority south in violence condemned worldwide.
The protests, which began on October 1, died down after about a week. Abdul-Mahdi urged the demonstrators to give his government time to implement reforms and bring corrupt officials to justice, but critics say he has moved too slowly.
