Iraq’s Sadr begins sit-in inside Baghdad’s Green Zone to push for reform

Iraq’s Shia cleric, Muqtada Al-Sadr began on Sunday a sit-in inside the Green Zone in central Baghdad demanding the government to combat corruption and enact reforms.

The move comes after thousands of his supporters organised a sit-in outside the heavily fortified area which includes government buildings and embassies for more than a week.

“Beloved protesters, I will enter the Green Zone by myself and my escorts only. I will sit-in inside the Green Zone and you sit-in at its gates. None of you should move” he said before he crossed into the area.

Al-Sadr wants the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider Abadi to replace the current cabinet of party-affiliated ministers with technocrats and to move ahead with reforms tackling corruption.

Al-Sadr, on Friday gave Abadi, until Saturday to declare a technocrat government, threatening to hold another sit-in if he did not announce his cabinet, which was refused by Abadi.

Al-Sadr pledged to local media that he will support Abadi’s reforms if they were “convincing” and called on his followers, protesters and demonstrators to maintain peace.

Transparency International ranked Iraq 161 out of 168 countries in its annual corruption index for 2015.