Hundreds of supporters of powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al Sader, are standing in front of the Parliament building in Baghdad, a day after its crackdown that has sparked anger among their ranks delays in the approval of a government of technocrats.
After a week of protests, the crowd came a day before the force in the green zone, home of embassies and government buildings.
Iraqi system of division of government posts long been criticized as promoting unqualified candidates and encouraging corruption. Although the executive is carefully balanced between loyalists and religious party, the country ranked 161-ti in the corruption index of "Transparency International" with a total of 168 seats.
"Or to eradicate corrupt officials and the remaining quotas, or will tear down all this government does not kursyejmë anybody," al-Sadr said in a speech broadcast on television, just before the onslaught of the Parliament building.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has asked the demonstrators to leave the green zone of 10 square kilometers and return to designated places for protests. The authorities have declared a state of emergency, what forces temporary closure of the entrances to the city, but is not set curfew.
