Adel Abdul Mahdi the Prime Minister of Iraq has announced his resignation. The country was gripped in a serious setback with protests becoming an almost daily feature since last October.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi will resign after nearly two months of anti-government protests, according to a statement from his office.
Abdul Mahdi had initially agreed to resign on October 31 on the condition that a successor was agreed to replace him.
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People set off fireworks as they celebrated his resignation in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, after anti-government protests, which began on October 1, swept through the country against alleged government corruption and Iranian involvement in the country’s affairs.
The news comes after the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Najaf was attacked on Wednesday. Mahdi ordered an investigation on Thursday into the deaths of at least 31 people.
More than 1,000 people were injured over three days of demonstrations across Iraq from November 26 to November 28, the country’s Independent High Commission for Human Rights said Thursday.
In total, more than 300 people have been killed and 15,000 injured in Iraq since the protests began. Protesters have demanded the government step down and hold early elections under direct supervision of the United Nations, activists told CNN.
Many Iraqis blame the current political parties in power for their economic hardship.
Officials have imposed curfews, internet blackouts, and deployed lethal force in attempts to quash the protests. The government said it only shoots when attacked, but demonstrators have disputed that.
