Enraged by Iran-backed parties choice for Prime Minister, demonstrators flood Green Zone

Hundreds of Iraqis protested Wednesday against the nomination of Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani for Prime Minister. A leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, Al-Sudani is a former minister and governor of the southern Maysan Province and emerged as the pro-Iran Coordination Framework’s pick for premier only after ten months of political haggling.

Protesters raised Iraqi flags, and chanted slogans condemning the decision to nominate an undistinguished tribal leader for a national executive position.

Later demonstrators – many of them supporters of rival Shia politician Moqtada Al Sadr-forced their way into the parliament building inside Green Zone Muqtada Al-Sadr himself has not made a statement yet on his position regarding the nomination. Al-Sudani served previously as minister of human rights from 2010 to 2014, and as minister of labor and social affairs from 2014 to 2018.

He was also acting minister for the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Finance, and minister for the Ministry of Migration and Displaced, and Ministry of Agriculture.

Demonstrators told A24 that they reject Al-Sudani and claim he is one of several corrupt officials too closely tied to former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, who was Iraq’s leader when a third of the country was seized by ISIS in 2014.