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| Iraq: Sadr supporters in mass protest for political reform | Iraq: Sadr supporters in mass protest for political reform |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Iraq's capital, Baghdad, in protest at a months-long political crisis and lack of reform. | Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Iraq's capital, Baghdad, in protest at a months-long political crisis and lack of reform. |
| Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has asked his supporters to march towards the Green Zone, where the government is based. | Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has asked his supporters to march towards the Green Zone, where the government is based. |
| He wants Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to press ahead with his plan to replace ministers appointed on the basis of political affiliation with technocrats. | He wants Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to press ahead with his plan to replace ministers appointed on the basis of political affiliation with technocrats. |
| Powerful parties in parliament have so far refused to approve the reshuffle. | Powerful parties in parliament have so far refused to approve the reshuffle. |
| Systemic political patronage has aided corruption in Iraq, depleting the government's resources as it struggles to cope with declining oil revenue and the cost of the war against the jihadist group Islamic State. | Systemic political patronage has aided corruption in Iraq, depleting the government's resources as it struggles to cope with declining oil revenue and the cost of the war against the jihadist group Islamic State. |
| 'Radical change needed' | 'Radical change needed' |
| The BBC's Ahmed Maher in Baghdad says this is one of the country's worst political crises since the US-led invasion and downfall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. | |
| For the past three weeks, MPs have been unable to agree on a new line-up of non-partisan ministers proposed by the embattled prime minister as a key element of programme to tackle corruption. | For the past three weeks, MPs have been unable to agree on a new line-up of non-partisan ministers proposed by the embattled prime minister as a key element of programme to tackle corruption. |
| More than 100 MPs have been staging a sit-in in parliament since mid-April to express their frustration at others who have blocked votes on the reshuffle. | More than 100 MPs have been staging a sit-in in parliament since mid-April to express their frustration at others who have blocked votes on the reshuffle. |
| They even voted to sack the speaker of parliament, Salim al-Jabouri. | They even voted to sack the speaker of parliament, Salim al-Jabouri. |
| The political fight turned violent last week as rival MPs kicked and threw bottles of water at one another, our correspondent adds. | The political fight turned violent last week as rival MPs kicked and threw bottles of water at one another, our correspondent adds. |
| On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of Mr Sadr's supporters heeded his call to "frighten" MPs from the main political parties, which rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds, and "compel" them to agree to the prime minister's reforms. | On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of Mr Sadr's supporters heeded his call to "frighten" MPs from the main political parties, which rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds, and "compel" them to agree to the prime minister's reforms. |
| They marched from Tahrir Square in central Baghdad towards the entrance of the heavily-fortified Green Zone, where parliament was expected to convene in a fresh attempt to vote on the reshuffle. | They marched from Tahrir Square in central Baghdad towards the entrance of the heavily-fortified Green Zone, where parliament was expected to convene in a fresh attempt to vote on the reshuffle. |
| "Our participation in the demonstration aims to reject this government for being sectarian," protester Abu Ali al-Zaidi told the AFP news agency. | "Our participation in the demonstration aims to reject this government for being sectarian," protester Abu Ali al-Zaidi told the AFP news agency. |
| The government "did not bring the country and Iraqis anything but poverty and killing", the taxi driver from the southern province of Maysan added. | The government "did not bring the country and Iraqis anything but poverty and killing", the taxi driver from the southern province of Maysan added. |
| The MP and former national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, acknowledged the political system was "not working" and that "radical change" was necessary. | The MP and former national security adviser, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, acknowledged the political system was "not working" and that "radical change" was necessary. |
| But he told the BBC that Tuesday's protests were "not terribly helpful". | But he told the BBC that Tuesday's protests were "not terribly helpful". |
| "We need a calm political atmosphere to sit down and hammer out some political middle-of-the-way solutions for this stalemate," he added. | "We need a calm political atmosphere to sit down and hammer out some political middle-of-the-way solutions for this stalemate," he added. |