Populist Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Monday called on Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to announce early parliamentary elections overseen by the United Nations and without the participation of existing political parties.
Sadr's bloc, which came first in a 2018 election and helped bring Abdul Mahdi's fragile coalition government to power, said on Saturday it was going into opposition until the demands of anti-government protesters were met.
Sairoon block secured majority in the parliament with 54 seats out of 329 in the country's parliamentary polls held in 2018.
At least 75 people have been killed and more than 3,600 others injured since the second wave of protests began on Friday, according to human rights groups.
The first wave of protests in early October left 149 protesters and eight security personnel dead.
Anger has been building in Iraq in recent years due to rising unemployment and rampant corruption. Scores of people in the country have limited access to basic services such as electricity and clean water.
According to World Bank figures, Iraq's youth unemployment is around 25%. It was also ranked the 12th most-corrupt country in the world, according to several transparency organizations.
