BAGHDAD, IRAQ
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdulmehdi announced his resignation after a period of bloodshed. Following Abdulmehdi’s resignation, demonstrations of joy began in Tahrir square, where activists had occupied for almost two months.
Abdulmehdi’s statement coincided with the call of Shia religious leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani to withdraw support from the government and parliament.
Ahmed El Safi, one of the representatives of Ayatollah Ali Sistani, made a statement on behalf of Sistani in Karbala: “The current government’s parliament was called upon to review its choice, to act in the interests of Iraq to protect the blood of its children and to prevent the country from shifting to violence, chaos and destruction.”
During the day, another person was killed in Nasiriye, in the south of the country. At least 62 people were killed in Nasiriye, Baghdad and Najaf on Thursday when security forces opened fire. After the deaths in Nasiriyah, Adil Duheyli, the governor of Zikar province, who resided in the city, resigned. Duheyli demanded the dismissal of general Jalil al-Shamari, who ordered the attack.
Since October 1, more than 400 people have died and around 16,000 people have been injured. Activists want the system and the corrupt administrator class to be completely changed. Iran’s consulate in Najaf was also burned on Wednesday. The activists see Iran as the architect of the corrupt system in Iraq.
