The United States said it welcomed the end of the standoff in Iraq when its parliament on Thursday elected Kurdish politician Abdul Latif Rashid as president, who later named Mohammad Shia Al Sudani as prime minister-designate.
“The United States urges all parties to avoid violence and disputes amicably and peacefully through the political process,” the U. S. State Department said in a statement.
Abdul Latif Rashid, a 78-year-old Iraqi Kurd, elected head of state, replacing Barham Saleh, through the meeting of the government and diplomatic district of the heavily fortified Green Zone of the capital.
Rashid won more votes to current President Saleh’s 99, a meeting official said.
The new president temporarily appointed Shiite al-Sudani as prime minister-designate, tasked with reconciling warring Shiite factions and forming a government a year after Iraq’s last elections.
Al-Sudani, 52, who enjoys the support of influential pro-Iranian factions, vowed to form a government “as soon as possible” but faces the daunting task of winning over his rivals, the millions of staunch fire militants. The religious Moqtada Sadr.
When Al Sudani first proposed in July, the move sparked mass protests through al-Sadr supporters, who violated the Green Zone and stormed parliament.
He now has 30 days to shape a new government capable of having a majority in parliament.
“I will spare no effort to form a government,” al-Sudani said in a televised address, promising cadres with “all political forces and all elements of society. “
He also promised other young people that he would face disorders such as “lack of (public) services, poverty, inflation and unemployment. “
Western governments were to welcome the resolution to end the political stalemate in Iraq.
The U. S. Department of State The U. S. government urged the new leaders to “keep the will of the Iraqi people in mind” and suggested all parties “come out of violence and differences amicably and peacefully through the political process. “
The French embassy congratulated Al Sudani on his appointment and called for “the formation of a government that will do everything in its power to meet the valid demands of all other Iraqis and especially their youth. “
A reminder of the unrest in Iraq came the day before as lawmakers were on their way to parliament when a Katyusha-type rocket barrage hit the area, security forces said.
At least 10 other people were wounded, including six members of the security forces or bodyguards of lawmakers, as well as four civilians in a nearby neighborhood, a security official told AFP.
U. S. Ambassador Alina Romanowski condemned the attack “in the strongest terms” on Twitter, warning that “other Iraqis will address their political differences and grievances only through nonviolent means. “
“Attacks like these undermine democracy and Iraq in a perpetual cycle of violence. “
The democratic establishments built in oil-rich Iraq since the 2003 U. S. invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein are fragile, and neighboring Iran wields major influence.
For just over a year now, Iraq has had a single interim government to address a variety of pressing issues, in addition to unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure, corruption and the effects of climate change.
The U. N. project in Iraq warned this week that “the protracted crisis is creating additional instability” and that divisive politics “is generating bitter public disillusionment. “
Lawmakers had made 3 previous attempts to elect a new head of state, in February and March, and did not even reach the required two-thirds threshold for a quorum.
Under post-Saddam Iraq’s power-sharing system, designed to increase sectarian strife, the president through the conference is Kurdish, the prime minister is Shiite Arab, and the speaker of parliament is a Sunni Arab.
The presidency has sometimes been occupied through the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of Rashid and Saleh. This year, the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) had asked for the presidency but, despite everything, had defected from his candidacy.
Rashid, a hydraulics engineer versed in environmental issues, is seen as a compromise candidate for the polarized country.
Iraq’s rival Shiite political factions, the toughest players, are vying for influence.
Sadr pushed for parliament to be dissolved to pave the way for new elections, while the rival coordination framework, to which the prime minister-designate belongs, insisted that a new government be formed first.
The standoff has seen protest camps set up in the Green Zone this year.
Tensions boiled over on Aug. 29 when more than 30 Sadr supporters were killed in battles with Iranian- and military-subsidized factions.
Political analyst Ali Al Baidar said he may not rule out an escalation between the opposing parties, but said he believes it is most likely that an agreement has been reached behind the scenes under which the Sadrists would get more positions in the closet in exchange for their tacit approval of al-Sudani’s appointment.
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