An American newspaper: The political conflict is expanding the sit-ins in Baghdad

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[size=52]An American newspaper: The political conflict is expanding the sit-ins in Baghdad[/size]

[size=45]Translation: Hamed Ahmed[/size]
[size=45]An American newspaper commented on the phenomenon of sit-ins in Baghdad, stressing that it was caused by the political conflict and aimed at obtaining more spoils, stressing that it coincides with the deterioration of the conditions of Iraqis at the level of services, broken hospitals and an educational system among the worst in the region.[/size]
[size=45]A report by the (Washington Post) newspaper, translated by Al-Mada, stated that "rival protesters took to the streets of Iraq last Friday, at a time when much was revealed about what their leaders are seeking to extend their political hegemony."[/size]
[size=45]The report continued, "This happened only ten months after the elections backed by the United States in order to remedy the stumbling situation in the country."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out, "The consequences that happened after those elections have forced years-long tensions between them to surface."[/size]
[size=45]The report pointed out that "rival Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni blocs have not been able to the present time to agree on key positions in the government, in a country where political elites rule by consensus."[/size]
[size=45]He noted that "the biggest winner in the elections, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, withdrew members of his movement from parliamentarians from the process of forming the government, sending instead his supporters from the protesters to dominate the Legislative Council and the surrounding green space."[/size]
[size=45]The report stated, "Al-Sadr is currently calling for early elections, which may be the second in less than a year."[/size]
[size=45]And he indicated, "Al-Sadr's supporters, by dusk on Friday, gathered in several provinces across the country and outside the parliament building to chant what he wants."[/size]
[size=45]The report stressed, "The Sadr demonstrators were not alone, but several kilometers away from the fortified Green Zone, in turn, thousands of supporters of Sadr's rivals from the coordinating framework, former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and leaders of armed factions, gathered, opposing what they described as a political coup by al-Sadr." .[/size]
[size=45]He stressed, "A group of hundreds of protesters, and at nightfall, were setting up tents in the capital, and some of them said that they were preparing for a long sit-in."[/size]
[size=45]Ali Hassan, 30, a government employee from Baghdad says, "We will stay no matter how long it takes to achieve what we demand. People know our demands, and they know that they are legitimate demands."[/size]
[size=45]And the report continues, that "analysts say that while political matters seem complicated, the main cause of the problem is simple."[/size]
[size=45]He continues, "Twenty years after the American invasion of Iraq, the winners from the utilitarian political system that was followed in the country after that, are the ones who are now competing over who reaps more spoils."[/size]
[size=45]And the report went on, "Millions of the Iraqi public who have no share in this political system have not reaped any benefit from the country's enormous oil wealth."[/size]
[size=45]The report spoke of “disabled hospitals and an educational system among the worst in the region,” noting that “three southern governorates, while temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius, and over three days last week, they were not even able to keep the lights on, as the high temperatures led To reach the dilapidated generation stations to the stage of collapse and malfunction.”[/size]
[size=45]He stated, "The last elections were held several months before their original date, in response to the demands of widespread popular protests to topple the political system."[/size]
[size=45]The report pointed out that "the protesters were young people and were confronted with a violent crackdown, at which time Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi was forced to step down after the killing of more than 600 people."[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that "many Iraqis considered the recent elections as a mere exercise to amend and change the seats of political chairs, and that none of the large blocs represented them."[/size]
[size=45]The report noted that "the atmosphere on Friday was full of activity outside the parliament building, where protesters were holding pictures of Muqtada al-Sadr to demand another election to isolate all the old faces."[/size]
[size=45]Among al-Sadr's supporters, Hasan al-Iraqi, 30, a religious studies student who came from the city of Mosul, where he traveled five hours, said, "We are here to dissolve parliament and meet al-Sadr's demands."[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that "Al-Sadr has been using his Twitter site for weeks to send messages of praise for the efforts of his supporters in the streets, likening what they are doing to a revolution."[/size]
[size=45]And he warned, "Politicians from the opposition were, on Friday evening, sending comments on Twitter in which they also praised the positions of their supporters."[/size]
[size=45]The report added, "Al-Maliki described the protests of his followers as huge and peaceful protests, while Sheikh Qais Al-Khazali told the demonstrators of the coordination framework: Today you brought joy into the hearts of Iraqis and proved that you are the conscious public."[/size]
[size=45]He added, "Another group of protesters gathered Friday in the center of Baghdad, the majority of them are secular activists at Al-Firdaws Square to hold their own protest there."[/size]
[size=45]The report went on to say that "the Iraqi Ahmadinejad, an activist who has not voted in any elections held in the country since 2003, says: The entire political system was built on a mistake, none of those parties ever worked for us, all of them and all of them are corrupt."[/size]
[size=45]For: The Washington Post[/size]
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