Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr told his followers Wednesday to continue their sit-in inside Iraq’s government zone, and called for the dissolution of the parliament and early elections.
Speaking for the first time since thousands of his followers stormed the parliament building in Baghdad on Saturday, Sadr said the "revolutionaries" must stay and continue their sit-in.
He hinted that appeals by his political rivals to negotiate did not bear fruit. "There is no point in continuing dialogue with them, the people have said their word," he said.
He said the "old faces" — referring to the establishment parties — would no longer exist after democratic early elections are held and the parliament is dissolved.
Nearly 10 months on from elections, the oil-rich country still has no government and no new prime minister or president.
The Sadr bloc opposes a nomination for prime minister by the Coordination Framework, a rival, Iran-backed Shiite faction.
Outgoing prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has called for a "national dialogue" in a bid to bring all sides together to talk, and on Wednesday spoke with President Barham Salih.
Both men stressed the importance of "guaranteeing security and stability" in the country, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
The United Nations mission in Iraq called on leaders Wednesday to put their country first and end the long-running political power struggle.
"We appeal to all actors to commit, actively engage and agree on solutions without delay", the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said in a statement.
"Leaders must prioritize (the) national interest," it said.
"Meaningful dialogue among all Iraqi parties is now more urgent than ever, as recent events have demonstrated the rapid risk of escalation in this tense political climate," the UN mission warned.
"Iraq is facing an extensive list of outstanding domestic issues: it is in desperate need of economic reform, effective public service delivery as well as a federal budget -- to name a few," it added.
"Hence, it is past time for political stakeholders to assume their responsibilities and act in the national interest."
Iraq is the second largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and derives 90 percent of federal revenue from oil.
But it has still not adopted its budget for 2022.
In June, parliament passed an emergency finance bill, to ensure gas supplies and buy grain for "food security".
