Iraqi President Nominates Former Governor Adnan al-Zurfi as New Prime Minister

Over two weeks after the resignation of Mohammad Tawfiq Alawi on March 2, the president of Iraq, Barham Salih, declared Adnan al-Zurfi as the country’s new prime minister designate on Tuesday March 17. Alawi had failed to win parliamentary approval within the stipulated 30 days.

Zurfi, 54, was formerly the governor of the Iraqi province of Najaf and heads the Nasr (victory) alliance in the Iraqi parliament with 42 seats. The alliance was earlier headed by former prime minister Haider al Abadi.

Zurfi has 30 days to form a new cabinet and get the mandatory approval from the parliament. If successful, he will replace caretaker prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi who had resigned in November last year following weeks of popular protests against inefficient governance and widespread corruption among the ruling dispensation.

The popular protests that started in October last year are still going on in several parts of the country, including in capital Baghdad. Protesters want a complete overhaul in the country’s political system and an end to all external interference.

Mahdi, who is still the caretaker prime minister of Iraq, had announced his reluctance to carry on earlier this month. President Salih has been forced to execute most of the duties of the prime minister.

Alawi, Zurfi’s predecessor, was also opposed by the protesters. He was widely considered to be part of the establishment despite promises to create a cabinet of technocrats and others from outside the political circles.

Zurfi too is regarded to be part of the political establishment. In his first statement issued after being proposed as prime minister, Zurfi said that he will initiate the process for fresh parliamentary elections within a year of taking office.

The Baghdad Post reported that Zurfi promised to curb the spread of arms in private hands in Iraq. The promise hints at a potential control of the activities of the militias who fought the threat of the Islamic State. These militias are increasingly seen as a problem by pro-American politicians due to their open hostility towards the foreign troops in the country.

Zurfi is a US citizen and is considered closer to the US political establishment as well. This may go against him winning approval in the Iraqi parliament dominated by groups opposed to external interference in the country’s politics. He has also been accused of being involved in various corruption scandals while serving as the governor of Najaf.

Reacting to his nomination by President Saleh, the Fatah bloc – a political outfit of the Hashed al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), called it an “unconstitutional step”.