DUBAI: Former Iraqi member of parliament and prominent politician Izzat Al-Shabander slammed protestors and referred to them as “monkeys” after his name was included in a banner raised by demonstrators in Tahrir Square.
The banner included other politicians who were considered potential candidates for the post of prime minister.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned on last month amid pressure from mass anti-government protests.
Izzat Al-Shabandar took to Twitter in response to the banner, saying that he was “neither a candidate” nor will he “honor the leadership of the monkeys who wrote this banner” and referred to them as belonging to “mafias.”
ضمن لافتة صورٍ لشخصيات صورتي من بينها مع تعليق مفاده انها مرفوضة سلفاً من قبل ( ابطال ) المطعم التركي علماً اني لستُّ مرشَّحاً ولا بمُرَشِّحٍ و لن ارشِّح و لا تشرفني زعامة القرود ممن كتب هذه اللافتة او علّقها او امرهم بها من مافيات الصراع على السلطة و الفساد و القتل .
— عزت الشابندر (@IAlshabandar) December 11, 2019
In responses to his comments, one social media user wrote on Twitter saying: “We do not need hypocrites between us.”
لا نحتاج الى المنافقين "المصلحجية" بين صفوفنا.
— sarah altamimy (@SAltamimy) December 11, 2019
Demonstrations in Iraq erupted early October in protest of corruption, high unemployment, poor public services and foreign interference.
