Iraqi demonstrators in Baghdad call for reforms

Hundreds of Iraqis have taken to the streets in the capital Baghdad to demand government reforms and an end to corruption.

The protesters gathered on Tahrir Square in central Baghdad on Friday, urging the administration of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to implement reforms and to tackle rampant corruption in state institutions.

Chanting slogans against corruption, demonstrators called for prosecuting corrupt officials, Iraq’s al-Sumaria news website reported.

Protesters carried banners calling on the government to tackle unemployment.

Over the past months, Iraqis in Baghdad and other provinces have been staging protests for reforms on an almost regular basis.

Differences among various Iraqi political factions have hindered the formation of a corruption-free government.

Baghdad witnessed uproarious protests in July, when protesters, mostly supporters of prominent cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, rallied against what they called rampant corruption within the country’s ruling structure.

The demonstrations are being held at a time when Iraq is engaged in the fight against the Takfiri Daesh terrorists. Iraqi armed forces and volunteer fighters have managed to push the terrorists out of many areas they had had under control.

Prime Minister Abadi has urged the nation to set aside political differences and to stand united in the face of Daesh.