Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi on Saturday submitted his letter of resignation to parliament ahead of session on Sunday.
Iraqi protesters have welcomed the resignation but say it is not enough. They demand the overhaul of a political system they say is corrupt and keeps them in poverty and without opportunity.
Populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has supported protests but not thrown his full weight behind them, said late on Friday that demonstrations should continue.
“The next candidate for prime minister should be chosen by popular referendum and picked from among five proposed candidates,” al-Sadr suggested in a statement on Twitter. He said protesters should meanwhile press their demands but reject violence.