Will concessions be enough for protesters in Iraq?
Iraq’s prime minister offers to resign as people demand political system overhaul.
People in Iraq have been protesting for change for a month now.
Many are angry at the high unemployment rate and poor services.
Demonstrators want ministers to resign and Iraq’s sectarian political system to end, saying it has led to rampant corruption and abuse of power.
Iraq’s President Barham Salih made some concessions in a televised speech on Thursday, promising an early election.
Salih said Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi will resign, but only if political parties agree on his replacement.
But will this be enough to stop the anger?
And can the political system that many blame for the crisis survive?
Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault
Guests:
Dlawer Alaa Aldeen – president of the Middle East Research Institute
Zeidon Alkinani – political analyst writer and contributor to the online publication Open Democracy
Renad Mansour – director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House