Iraq president names ex-Najaf governor Adnan Zurfi as prime minister
PTI, Mar 17, 2020, 4:00 PM IST
Baghdad: Iraqi president Barham Saleh named Adnan Zurfi, the former governor of the Shiite holy city of Najaf, as the new prime minister Tuesday, the second attempt to find ahead of government in recent months.
Zurfi, a 54-year-old lawmaker, has 30 days to form his cabinet which he must then put to a vote of confidence in Iraq’s notoriously divided parliament.
He would replace outgoing premier Adel Abdel Mahdi, who resigned in December following popular mass rallies against a government that protesters see as corrupt, inept and beholden to powerful neighbor Iran.
An earlier nominee failed to form a cabinet by March 2, triggering a new 15-day deadline for Saleh.
Zurfi is a current member of the Nasr coalition led by ex-PM Haider al-Abadi and a former member of the Dawa party, a longtime opposition party to ex-dictator Saddam Hussein.
Since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam, cabinets have been formed through a sectarian power-sharing system, leading to widespread horsetrading among various sects and parties.
A senior government source told AFP that political factions had intensely debated names for days, seeking a “non-confrontational” figure to preserve the status quo.
The announcement came just hours after Iraq faced a new rocket attack targeting foreign troops stationed at military bases across the country.
Two rockets hit the Besmaya base about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Baghdad before dawn on Tuesday, according to the Iraqi military, the US-led coalition, and NATO, which all have forces stationed there.
The Iraqi military made no mention of casualties and a NATO press officer told AFP that none of its forces were hurt in the attack.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Trump will attend the wake of a slain NYPD officer as he goes after Biden over crime
UN secy-general appoints top NDMA official as special representative for disaster risk reduction
Jaishankar meets Malaysian counterpart, discusses ‘multifaceted’ bilateral ties
Baltimore bridge collapse: Entire crew of container ship ‘Indian’
Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge, bringing it down. Rescuers are looking for people in water
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Rs 20.14 cr unaccounted cash seized in poll run up in Karnataka
HC grants bail to man held for sexually assaulting ‘friend’ at Mumbai beach in 2021
Congress’s Kolar conundrum remains unsolved despite CM, DCM attempt to quell dissent
Mangaluru: Illegal slaughterhouse raided by police, Three arrested
‘No evidence of wrongdoing’: CBI closes UPA-era Air India aircraft leasing