Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adnan Al-Zarfi promised to organize free elections within a year of forming a government and work to confine arms to the state, while the second largest bloc in Parliament refused to assign Al-Zorfi to form a government.
The Prime Minister-designate said in a speech to the Iraqis that he would prepare for free, fair and transparent elections, in cooperation with the representation of the United Nations working in Iraq, within a maximum period of one year after the formation of the government.
The Iraqi official added that he would do "everything necessary to achieve goals, including protecting protesters and activists, and emphasizing the sanctity of exposure to them."
The official Iraqi News Agency indicated that Al-Zarfi, 54, also said that he would confine arms to the state, end all armed manifestations, and impose state authority.
Al-Zorfi pledged to adopt a foreign policy that would keep Iraq away from regional and international conflicts.
Allawi's apology
The mandate of the former governor of Najaf and the head of the Victory Bloc came after the apology of former Prime Minister Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi early this month for the task of forming the government, after his failure to persuade the Sunnis and Kurds to support his cabinet and his government program.
Consequently, the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi, who has been resigned since last December, is still conducting business.
In front of the prime minister, who is charged with 30 days to form the government and gain the confidence of Parliament, however, difficulties will face him, as Hadi al-Amiri, the parliamentary Fatah alliance that came second in the last parliamentary elections, announced his refusal to assign President Barham Salih al-Zarfi to form the next government.
Al-Fateh Alliance The Al-Fateh Coalition
described - in a statement - the declaration a "provocative step by the President of the Republic, Barham Salih, by appointing a candidate outside the constitutional contexts", which stipulates the assignment of a candidate for the major parliamentary bloc.
The statement said that the commissioning is considered a violation of the constitution on the one hand, and a lack of commitment to consensus between the political forces on the other hand, and the statement also held President Barham Saleh fully responsible for the repercussions of this step.
In a related context, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet on Twitter that if the designated Iraqi Prime Minister puts the interests of the Iraqis first, he will receive American and international support, and Pompeo clarified that the Iraqis want "a government that supports the sovereignty of Iraq, provides basic needs, is not tainted by corruption and respects their human rights." .
It is noteworthy that the next Zorfi government will succeed the government of Abdul-Mahdi, who resigned under the pressure of unprecedented popular protests, launched since the beginning of last October to demand the departure of the ruling class, fighting corruption and improving the living situation and public services.