Hundreds of Iraqi students took to the streets of Basra, blaming the ruling political parties for the delay in the nomination of a new prime minister, according to the reports.
![Iraqi medical students take part in an anti-government demonstration in the central holy shrine city of Najaf on 28 October 2019. [AFP via Getty Images]](https://i1.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/GettyImages-1178638451-e1577300234189.jpeg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=85&strip=all&ssl=1)
Deadlock in parliament has held up the selection of an interim prime minister, causing lawmakers to miss the constitutional deadline on Thursday (December 19) to name a replacement for Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.
Mahdi resigned last month but has remained in office in a caretaker capacity.
Anti-government protests have raged across the country as demonstrators refuse to accept a prime minister nominated by the ruling political parties.
More than 450 people, mostly unarmed demonstrators, but also some members of the security forces, have been killed since a wave of popular unrest began on October 1.