Earlier on the day, after arriving in Najaf, Hennis-Plasschaert met the leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr.
“The meeting was good”, and “the importance of finding a solution to the political crises was discussed,” Hennis-Plasschaert said following the meeting in a press conference, according to INA.
Hennis-Plasschaert’s meeting with Sadr came after she met the head of the al-Fateh alliance Hadi al-Amiri in Baghdad on Thursday, who is also one of the main components of Sadr’s political rival, the Shiite Coordination Framework.
Meetings among the Iraqi top leading figures continue as efforts to de-escalate the situation after nearly a week of political turmoil throughout the country.
The Coordination Framework on Thursday said it supports Sadr’s call to hold another early election but by conditions.
Late on Thursday, the top Coordination Framework leaders carried out a meeting in the house the head of the Hikma movement Ammar al-Hakim aimed to discuss Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s demand mainly regarding holding another early election.
“We support any constitutional efforts to resolve the political crises,” said the coordination in a statement after the meeting.
“The coordination supports the parties to hold another early election if there is a national consensus of all parties” adding that “respecting the national institution shall be prioritized and not be paralyzed” the statement read.
In the meantime, Sadr’s political rival Nouri al-Maliki said that holding an early election relies on consensus and constitution, according to the statement.
“Last election created a big social strife, we stress on abiding by constitution and law,” Maliki said.
Meanwhile the speaker of the Iraqi parliament on Friday announced his support to hold an early election as the Shiite coordination framework supported it by conditions.
Iraqi parliamentary speaker Muhammed al-Halbousi on his Twitter account in response to al-Sadr’s call to hold another early election as his supporter continue to sit-in in the Iraqi parliament said, “The Iraqi council of representatives represents the people, and those people that rallied are part of its component”.
“The will of the people cannot be neglected,” he said.
“We support steps toward an early election in a specific time frame with the agreement through the path of democracy and understanding that suitable with top national interests” he added.
Since late Thursday parties started to answer Sadr’s call regarding holding another early election after he rejected all calls for dialogue and urged his followers to continue the so-called peaceful revolution on Wednesday, and calling for another early election and the dissolution of the current parliament.
Iraq held its last parliamentary elections in October 2021, however, political disagreements among parties have hindered the parliament from electing a president and forming a government, and selecting a new president. The major winner of the October election, the Sadrist movement called to hold another early election.
The country is trapped inside deep political impasses. Its current political unrest is triggered by a prolonged political deadlock. Nearly 10 months after national elections were held, Iraq has been unable to form a new government. That’s the most extended period since the 2003 U.S. invasion that reset the political order.
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