Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has invited his biggest political rival to work with him on ousting the country’s prime minister as thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets for a fifth day.

Axar.az reports citing Reuters.

In a statement on Tuesday Sadr, who leads parliament’s largest bloc, asked Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the second-largest, to help him introduce a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

“To answer brother Abdul Mahdi, I thought asking you to call an early election would preserve your dignity but as you have refused, I invite brother Amiri to work with me on withdrawing confidence from you immediately,” he said.

Sadr had on Monday asked Abdul Mahdi to announce early elections but the premier said on Tuesday he would not do so as it was up to parliament, not him, to do so.