Hundreds of Sadr supporters continue to camp at Iraqi parliament

The occupation that began on Saturday was the second time in days that Shia cleric Moqtada al Sadr's supporters had forced their way into the legislative chamber.

Despite oil wealth and elevated global crude prices, Iraq remains hobbled by corruption, unemployment and other problems, which sparked a youth-led protest movement in 2019. (AFP)

Hundreds of followers of Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al Sadr have began a second day camped at the country's parliament.

On Sunday morning, the demonstrators marked the Muslim month of Muharram, a traditional Shia celebration, with religious chants and collective meals.

Volunteers distributed soup, hard-boiled eggs, bread and water to the protesters.

Some had spent the night inside the air conditioned building — which dates from Saddam Hussein's era — with blankets spread out on the marble floors.

Others took to the gardens, on plastic mats under palm trees.

A day earlier, they stormed the complex despite tear gas, water cannon and baking temperatures that touched 47 degrees Celsius.

They pulled down heavy concrete barricades on roads leading to Baghdad's fortified Green Zone of diplomatic and government buildings to break in.

READ MORE: Iraqi parliament sessions suspended due to storming by Sadr supporters

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Political deadlock

Nearly ten months after October elections, Iraq is still without a new government despite intense negotiations between factions.

Analysts have said Sadr, a mercurial cleric who once led a militia against US and Iraqi government forces, is using street protests to signal that his views must be taken into account in government formation.

The immediate trigger for the occupation was the decision by a rival Shia bloc, which is pro-Iran, to pick Mohammed Shia al Sudani for the prime minister's post.

In multi-confessional and multi-ethnic Iraq, government formation has involved complex negotiations since a 2003 US-led invasion toppled Hussein.

Sadr's bloc emerged from elections in October as the biggest parliamentary faction, but was still far short of a majority.

In June his 73 lawmakers quit in a bid to break a logjam over the establishment of a new government.

That led to a pro-Iran block becoming the largest in parliament, but still there was no agreement on naming a new prime minister, president or cabinet.

READ MORE: Muqtada al Sadr's supporters storm Iraq's parliamentary building

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gdcvEMQQ98[/embed]

Source: AFP

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Saied supporters joyous as Tunisia backs new constitution amid low turnout

The referendum saw just 27.5 percent of 9.3 million registered voters cast ballots, with an overwhelming 92-93 percent supporting the new constitution.

Saied's supporters drove cars in procession through central Tunis, waving flags and singing the national anthem. (AFP)

Tunisian President Kais Saied's supporters have celebrated the almost certain victory of the "yes" vote in a referendum on a new constitution that strengthens the powers of the head of state.

"Tunisia has entered a new phase," Saied said on Tuesday, appearing in front of a jubilant crowd at around 0100 GMT. 

According to local television, he added that "there was a large crowd in the polling stations and the rate would have been higher if the vote took place over two days".

The referendum, held a year to the day after Saied sacked the government and froze parliament in what rivals have called a coup, saw at least 27.5 percent of 9.3 million registered voters cast ballots, Tunisia's ISIE electoral commission said late Monday.

An overwhelming 92-93 percent of those who voted supported the new constitution, according to an exit poll taken by the Sigma Conseil institute. Initial results are due Tuesday afternoon.

After the projected outcome was announced on national television, Saied's supporters drove cars in procession through central Tunis.

They waved flags and beeped their car horns, with some singing the national anthem or shouting slogans supporting the president.

READ MORE: Tunisians back new constitution in low turnout referendum

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL836ysy5Xs[/embed]

Election law in focus

Saied said the first decision after the constitutional referendum would be to draft an election law. He added that the law will change the format of the old elections wherein elected officials did not reflect the will of the voters.

Saied's move against a system that emerged after the 2011 overthrow of strongman Zine el Abidine Ben Ali was welcomed by a section of Tunisians fed up with high inflation and unemployment, political turmoil and a system they felt had brought little improvement to their lives.

But Saied's critics have warned the new constitution would lock in presidential powers that could dismantle the democratic gains of the 2011 revolution by handing him nearly total power.

The new text would place the president in command of the army, allow him to appoint a government without parliamentary approval and make him virtually impossible to remove from office.

He could also present draft laws to parliament, which would be obliged to give them priority.

READ MORE: How failure to address causes of 2011 uprising led to Tunisia’s referendum

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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