On an unannounced visit .. Barham Salih in Fallujah and Halbusi received him

Iraqi President Barham Saleh arrived in the city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, on a visit that was not previously announced.

There, Saleh met with Speaker of Parliament Muhammad al-Halbousi, where sources told the island that they discussed several files, most notably the file of government formation, and efforts to limit the spread of the new Corona virus.

For its part, the security authorities tightened their procedures in the city, and prevented the media from accessing the meeting site.

The media office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives stated in his statement that during the meeting, the overall situation in the country and the file of forming the new government were discussed, and the need for the government to adopt the reform steps and set a realistic government program that meets the requirements of the stage.

The visit comes days after the head of intelligence, Mustafa al-Kazemi, was assigned to form the next government.

After being assigned to form the government, Al-Kazemi pledged that his government would ensure that the sovereign decision was in the hands of the Iraqis and not others, and that "the sovereignty of Iraq is a red line and cannot be complimented", adding that the primary goals of his government are to fight corruption and return the displaced to their homes.

The prime minister-designate promised to keep weapons in the hands of the state, and that the Iraqi armed forces should carry out their duties in this regard, describing them as decisive. Al-Kazimi also committed to protecting the rights and demands of the demonstrators, and “building balanced relations with neighbors and friends.”

Al-Kazemi now has a deadline of May 9 to present the government’s composition to Parliament in accordance with the requirements of the constitution.

Al-Kazemi is the third prime minister to be charged with forming a new government to succeed Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who submitted his resignation in early December, under the pressure of popular protests the country has witnessed since the beginning of last October.