Baghdad: Iraq is now witnessing protests similar Sri Lanka. Hundreds of angry demonstrators stormed the parliament building in Baghdad on Wednesday. According to an Al Jazeera report, most of the protesters are supporters of Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr.

The demonstrators are protesting against the candidacy of former minister and former provincial governor Mohammad Shia al-Sudani for prime minister by an Iran-backed party.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, only security personnel were present inside the parliament building at the time and they were allowing the protesters to enter easily. The protesters are opposing the candidacy of former minister and former provincial governor Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who is the choice of a pro-Iran coordination framework for premier.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has urged protesters to leave the Green Zone immediately. He warned that the security forces should prevent any damage to the security arrangements of state institutions and foreign missions.

Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s faction won 73 seats in Iraq’s October 2021 election, making it the largest faction in the 329-seat parliament. But since the vote, talks to form a new government have stalled and al-Sadr withdrew from the political process.

Since then, demonstrations have been going on in Iraq, but now these demonstrations have taken a fierce form and the matter has reached the country’s capital and parliament. In fact, Iran-backed political parties have nominated Mohamed al-Sudani for the post of Prime Minister on behalf of their Coalition Coordination Framework Bloc.