Iraqi PM's exit gives protesters a boost

Demonstrators scale up ambitions to demand overhaul of political process

BAGHDAD－The Iraqi Parliament's acceptance of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's resignation has pleased anti-government demonstrators, but his departure is not enough for them to end their protests.

After two months of demonstrations in the capital Baghdad and southern provinces, the protesters' demands have risen to a comprehensive change in the political process.

Abdul Aziz al-Jubouri, a professor at the Media College in Iraqiya University in Baghdad, said Abdul Mahdi's resignation came after the Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani withdrew the backing of the religious leadership when he called on Parliament to reconsider its support for the government.