Iraq: UN mission chief meets with Sadr, Parliament Speaker support Sadr's call

The head of the United Nations mission in Iraq (UNAMI) met with the leader of the Sadrist movement on Friday in Najaf, Iraq, after the latter called for the dissolution of the parliament and snap elections on the 10th month of a government crisis.

UNAMI Chief Jeanine Plasschaert said in a press conference after the meeting with Muqtada al-Sadr that she "discussed with Sadr the importance of finding a solution to the political crisis," and her meeting with Sadr went well.

Four days after the supporters of Sadr started a sit-in in the Iraqi Parliament to protest ministerial candidate of the rival Coordination Framework, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Sadrist demonstrations have turned from a protest into a rally for change as Sadr made a call for a purge of "old faces, regardless of affiliation" through the dissolution of the parliament and snap elections.

Speaker of Iraqi Parliament supports Sadr's call

A support for Sadr's call came from the Parliament Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi on Friday, who said:

"The House of Representatives is the representative of the people, and those masses that rallied are part of his entity and conscience, and whose will in early elections that Muqtada al-Sadr called for cannot be neglected."

He added:

"We support proceeding with parliamentary and local elections within an agreed period of time to re-start the democratic process under the roof of the constitution and understanding in line with the country's supreme national interest."

Support from the rival bloc for snap elections

The officials of the Coordination Framework also expressed support for Sadr's call, saying that they support any "constitutional path" to resolve the current political impasse in Iraq, including holding snap elections.