Iraq government shuts down two opposition party offices

Two Iraqi political parties that led demonstrations over the past two weeks have been ordered to close their offices, reports the New York Times. On Sunday, dozens of armed security forces controlled by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki entered the offices of the Iraqi Nation Party and the Iraqi Communist Party and gave notice of their eviction. While the parties do not hold seats in Parliament, they are outspoken critics of Mr. Maliki’s government. In recent weeks, tens of thousands of demonstrators have rallied in Baghdad for government reforms and better services. Mr. Maliki’s cabinet responded that they were following through with a plan to return publicly owned buildings to government use, and that there was no political motive behind the evictions.

New York Times