Top Cleric Says Iraqis Alone Have Right to Choose Their Rulers

(Bloomberg) -- Iraq’s most senior Shiite cleric condemned the response to a wave of anti-government protests that have left more than 200 people dead and warned regional countries not to seek to override the wishes of Iraqis, an apparent reference to Iran’s substantial political power in its neighbor.

In his weekly Friday sermon in the holy city of Karbala, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said combat forces shouldn’t be deployed to confront demonstrations as their presence would only fuel violence, according to his representative Ahmed al-Safi. He also said the authorities must carry out reforms, adding that “no international or regional party” can override the people’s sovereign will.

Under current law, Iraqis have a right to a “referendum on the constitution and periodic elections” to change how they are governed, Al-Sistani said.

The protests over unemployment, government corruption and a lack of basic services have been the biggest test to confront the premiership of Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who has offered to resign once a successor has been agreed by a deeply divided parliament. The country’s president on Thursday signaled he would push for a new election law and an early parliamentary ballot but sectarian bickering could enforce a prolonged delay.

The turmoil in Iraq, along with sustained rallies that removed the prime minister of Lebanon, pose a particular challenge to Shiite-majority Iran, which will want to protect the significant sway it holds over politics in both countries.

Abdul-Mahdi, a former finance minister, was picked by rival Shiite Muslim groups as a consensus candidate following parliamentary elections in 2018, but has struggled to form a strong government and start the nation’s recovery from a devastating war with Islamic State jihadists.

He vowed to create jobs for university graduates and said all contracts with foreign companies would stipulate that 50% of jobs should go to Iraqis. The pledges were not enough to calm protesters, and he was criticized by Al-Sistani for failing to answer the people’s needs.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khalid Al-Ansary in Baghdad at kalansary@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Mark Williams, Caroline Alexander

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.