Sadr's supporters take to streets again for protest

Supporters of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have taken to the streets in Baghdad and Basra to call for economic and political reforms and end to corruption.

Hundreds of people converged on Tahrir Square in central Baghdad on Friday, demanding the formation of a technocrat government, the Arabic-language al-Sumaria television reported.

Participants in the demonstrations also called upon the government to prosecute corrupt officials and bring them to justice.

In Basra, some 550 km to the south, dozens of protesters gathered outside the Provincial Council building, demanding abolition of the sectarian quota system and fight against corruption.

They also demanded that seven ministers who resigned recently under pressure are held accountable for the decisions they made during their terms in office.

Civil rights activist Nael al-Zamil said the protesters called for the appointment of professional and efficient ministers, and vowed to continue street protests every Friday until their demands were met.

On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi accepted the resignation of Minister of Higher Education Hussein al-Shahristani, only a day after he agreed to the resignations of six other ministers.

SS