Parliament dissolution is the main and only demand by Sadr followers in their weeks-long strikes in the Green Zone.
The highest court in Iraq claims it lacks the power to enforce the Parliament dissolution order. Muqtada Sadr recently aggravated a political impasse by granting the authorities one week to dissolve the assembly so that fresh polls could be conducted.
Conflicts between Sadr’s supporters and Coordination Framework organizations are anticipated to rise as a result of the announcement. The former group has frequently invaded the chamber and called off the sessions set for naming a new prime minister.
The Supreme Judicial Council’s statement explains that “the Supreme Judicial Council does not have the authority to dissolve parliament,” and it’s not able to “interfere in the work of the legislative or executive authorities.”
Although the Sadr political party gained the most seats in the legislature last year, it was unable to create a majority administration that would have excluded its opponents. last week, Sadr warned in a post on twitter that the parliament dissolution might be realized within one week.
On Saturday evening, Sadr urged his supporters to prepare for large-scale protests across Iraq. The action aroused worries about violent escalations, while the group is yet to schedule the protests.
The longest legislative standstill that have occurred in Iraq in two decades, following US invasion that restored the political system, is now two months short of a full year. Since parliament has already beyond the constitutional deadline for appointing a new administration after the vote, the future course remains uncertain.
Iraqi high court stated in the announcement that it concurred with Sadr’s critique of the system for failing to vote a president, a PM, and a cabinet. According to the statement, this is an intolerable condition that has to be fixed.
Parliament Dissolution; Far from Democratic
The strongly protected Green Zone, which is home to Iraq’s government facilities and international embassies, was invaded by hundreds of Sadr’s supporters late last month. It happened twice in a span of only one week. Since then, Sadr followers have staged a sit-in outside the legislature building.
The assembly’s meetings have all been canceled till further announcement. As a result, the Coordination Framework’s attempts to establish the next administration after Sadr’s failure were essentially put on hold.
Observers take Sadr’s supporters’ attempt to seize control of the Supreme Judicial Council building as a sign of a coup attempt that was unsuccessful. The Coordination Framework also began its sit-in in the capital few days later to denounce Sadr’s supporters’ seizure of the legislative chamber.
A figure close to Sadr cause, took to Twitter to say that it’s the time to demonstrate the faction with most popularity in Iraqi society. His appeal for a “million-man demonstration” in Baghdad by Sadr followers from across the nation may prove disastrous.
Even if the Shiite opponents agreed to organize elections, there would still be significant disagreements about the voting process. Sadr wants to follow the same procedures as the latest election, when there were 83 electoral districts in Iraq. The largest group in parliament after the vote belonged to the clergy, but it was still a long way from a majority.
Groups like Sadr faction that have a sizable grassroots support base benefit from the new legislation.
The Coordination Framework favors changing the legislation. Sadr supporters camping outside the parliament building, block lawmakers from entering, and make it impossible to amend the law.
The deadlock of neither Parliament dissolution nor law amendment may lead Iraq into yet another civil war, while the country only recently recovered from the last.
