BAGHDAD, Sep 1(ABC): A months-long political crisis in Iraq showed little sign of abating Wednesday despite a fresh push for negotiations after nearly 24 hours of deadly violence between rival Shiite factions ended.
Baghdad s Green Zone, home to government buildings and embassies, returned to normality after 30 people were killed and 570 wounded in clashes pitting supporters of powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr against pro-Iran factions.
Since elections in October 2021, political deadlock has left Iraq without a new government, prime minister or president, due to disagreement over forming a coalition.
The tensions escalated sharply on Monday when Sadr loyalists stormed the government palace following their leader s announcement that he was quitting politics.
But Sadr s supporters trickled out of the Green Zone in a steady stream on Tuesday afternoon when he appealed for them to withdraw within the hour.
A nationwide curfew was lifted, before shops reopened and infamous traffic jams returned to Baghdad s streets on Wednesday as the government announced the resumption of school exams postponed by the unrest.
But the hurdles obstructing a solution to Iraq s political crisis remained firmly in place, with rival powers disagreeing over a path forwards.
Early elections, less than a year after the last polls, and the dissolution of parliament have been key demands of Sadr.
Sadr s rivals in the pro-Iran Coordination Framework want a new head of government to be appointed before any new elections are held.
