The skit denounces the costly lifestyle of politicians despite the hard times ordinary Iraqis still face in a country battered by war and sectarian strife since the 2003 US-led invasion which ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

It was performed by members of the Iraqi Civil Initiative to Protect the Constitution in central Baghdad's Tahrir (Liberation) Square, where banners called on MPs to "Give the money back to the people."

The group of 12 civil society groups announced plans on Friday to launch a legal battle for MPs to return 40 million dollars in salaries and allowances amassed since the March 7 election.

"Many MPs live abroad and keep receiving a salary, while people are killed every day by car bombs," one protester said on condition of anonymity, calling for them to resign.

Their protest play began with the arrival of an impoverished man representing ordinary Iraqis digging through the ruins symbolising the country after the 2003 invasion.

He finds a chair but is unable to sit on it as three other people try to dislodge him, the trio representing politicians who returned from exile following Saddam's ouster.

The man falls to the ground and the three rivals then scramble for the chair until one pushes away the others and sits down in triumph, his feet planted on the "people."

"It's the duty of every Iraqi to protect public funds, and we need to recover misspent money," Hana Edward, who heads Amal (Hope), a group in the Civil Initiative, told AFP.

The election ended in deadlock after none of the main parties won enough of the 325 seats in parliament to form a majority government.

Parliament itself has remained in hiatus, except for a 20-minute oath-taking ceremony and another brief meeting at which acting speaker Fuad Massum declared an indefinite "open" session.

On October 24, Iraq's supreme court ordered parliament to resume work, after the same civil society alliance launched a legal case against Massum, accusing him of violating the constitution by leaving the session open.

The MPs are scheduled to meet next Thursday, although there is still no indication they will be able to elect a speaker.

"Despite our victory, the political forces continue to procrastinate, so we will continue to lobby the politicians with peaceful protests," said Edward.

Since the election results were certified in June, every deputy has been receiving a salary and allowance for 30 security guards of 22.5 million dinars (19,070 dollars) per month.

In addition, about 200 deputies living outside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, where parliament and government institutions are housed, receive another allowance of three million dinars (2,550 dollars).

All MPs are entitled to a 90-million-dinar (76,000-dollar) allowance for a car, which by law must be ratified once parliament convenes, costing the state a total of about 25 million dollars.

Iraq's parliament is a huge financial burden on the state because all ex-MPs since 2003 are entitled to 80 percent of their salaries and a monthly allowance of 6,350 dollars for 10 security guards for the rest of their lives.

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