Iraq Parliament Swears in New Members after Walkout of 73

73 members who supported the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were replaced by dozens of new lawmakers who were sworn in by the Iraqi parliament on Thursday.

In response to a protracted political deadlock about the formation of the nation's future government, the 73 unanimously resigned earlier this month. After the Oct. 10 elections, which gave him the largest group in parliament and were based on a request from Sadr, the unusual walkout further complicated the situation in Iraq.

Despite coming out on top, Sadr has been embroiled in a power struggle with Iranian-backed Shiite opponents inside his own party and has been unable to put together a majority-supporting coalition.

In an effort to end the eight-month deadlock, he demanded the resignation of legislators from his parliamentary caucus two weeks ago. The action upended Iraq's political environment.

According to Iraqi legislation, if a parliamentary seat becomes vacant, it will be filled by the candidate who receives the second-highest number of votes in their electoral district. With about 122 seats, it gave Sadr's opponents from the so-called Coordination Framework, a coalition dominated by Shiite parties backed by Iran, the majority in this case.

For the first time since 2005, it forces Sadr out of parliament and gives pro-Iranian factions the power to choose who would serve in the next administration.

"Today, the first step has been completed, which is the replacement deputies taking the oath," said Lawmaker Mohammad Saadoun Sayhod, from the Rule of Law coalition represented in the Framework.

"We will now start the process of electing the president and naming the prime minister from the Coordination Framework," he said, adding he expected the formation of a new government to begin soon.

Sadr didn't respond right away to the swearing in of new parliamentarians. There are still worries that the political impasse may spark new demonstrations and street brawls between Sadr followers and their Shiite rivals.

Despite the fact that parliament is on break, legislators, largely from the Framework alliance, called for a special meeting on Thursday to elect the new representatives. Nine further replacements were not present, leaving 64 lawmakers to be sworn in.

On Wednesday, Sadr charged Iranian agents with interfering in political affairs. Additionally, he charged them with exerting pressure on his Sadrist bloc supporters and freshly elected political independents.

He urged lawmakers not to give in to pressure. In a statement, he urged blocs to resist sectarian pressures since they are temporary bubbles that would eventually burst in favour of change and rescuing the country.

The competition for government positions will now start, according to Munaf Al-Musawi, a political analyst and the director of the Baghdad Center for Strategic Studies. He asserted that after a government is established, al-supporters Sadr's might assemble in the streets and engage in combat with competing Shiites.

"What comes next is more difficult," he said. With Coordination Framework and its allies now in control of parliament, Sadr and his allies will pay the price for their walkout, he added.

In response to large-scale protests that started in late 2019 and saw tens of thousands gather against pervasive corruption, subpar services, and unemployment, the election in Iraq was held several months earlier than anticipated.