UN envoy: 2 weeks may be insufficient for Iraq to name new PM

Iraqi people stage a protest against former communications minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi after Iraqi President Barham Salih has assigned Allawi to form new government, in Iraqi capital Baghdad on 2 February 2020. [Murtadha Al-Sudani – Anadolu Agency]

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said yesterday that the constitutional deadline of 15 days set for the Iraqi president to nominate a new prime minister may not be “sufficient”.

The UN official said the continued political blockade and defection leads to more paralysis in the decision-making process in Iraq which “unfortunately” does not lead to optimism, as Iraq and its people continue to head towards the unknown.

Hennis-Plasschaert briefed UN Security Council ambassadors on the recent developments in Iraq

The UN envoy has also stressed on the need to hold those responsible for committing violations against the Iraqi protesters accountable, adding that “Iraq’s problems did not occur overnight, nor will they be solved in an instant.”

Earlier this month, Iraq’s PM-designate Mohammed Allawi withdrew his candidacy for the post after twice failing to reach quorum in a vote of confidence in his government. This left President Barham Salih with 15 days to appoint a replacement.

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