Iraq: President Saleh names intelligence chief as prime minister

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The ex-governor of Najaf, Adnane Zorfi, who had never been a minister, threw in the towel, pushed towards the exit by a rare political consensus against him.

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Iraqi President Barham Saleh announced Thursday (April 9th) that he has appointed intelligence chief Moustafa al-Kazimi to form a government. The latter was long seen as the man of the Americans in Iraq before warming up his relations with Washington's great enemy, Tehran, the main active power in Iraq.

For several days, summit meetings have multiplied. Last week, Iranian general Esmaïl Qaani, emissary in charge of Iraqi affairs since the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani in early January, even made the trip to Baghdad to bring together party leaders and discuss a replacement for Adnane Zorfi . On Wednesday, the two major Kurdish parties announced that if the latter withdrew, their support for Mr. Kazimi was already acquired.

This Thursday, during the official designation ceremony at the presidential palace, most of the country's greatest politicians were present, which was not the case for previous candidates for the post of Prime Minister.

Pushed towards the exit without having even been able to convene the Parliament for a vote of confidence or to present a list of ministers, Mr. Zorfi had been designated on March 17 . Before him, Mohammed Allawi had failed after 30 constitutional days to obtain a quorum for a vote of confidence in Parliament.

Thirty days to present a cabinet to Parliament

Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi announced his resignation in December, as the country had been experiencing an unprecedented popular revolt since October 1 which plunged him into an unprecedented social and political crisis. The protest movement was put on hold by the global pandemic of Covid-19. A total curfew has been declared in the country until at least April 19.

Moustafa al-Kazimi now has 30 days to present a cabinet to Parliament - the modalities of meeting under curfew are yet to be determined. The future government will then, and above all, have the 2020 budget adopted, still not voted, in a context of historic plunge in crude prices, the only source of foreign currency in the country, second producer of OPEC.

Iraq urgently needs a new government to deal with the coronavirus crisis which is also affecting the population.

(With AFP)

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