Al-Zurufi begins consultations to form Iraq government despite opposition

Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Adnan Al-Zurufi has started consultations to form a government without the Shia parties which rejected his designation, Anadolu reported yesterday.

Faleh Al-Ziyadi, an MP from Al-Nasr Alliance which has 42 seats out of 329 in the parliament, told Anadolu that the Shia blocs did not agree on the designation of Al-Zurufi.

Al-Nasr Alliance gave Al-Zurufi, its candidate, two choices: open dialogue with all blocs, including those who reject him, or get an endorsement from MPs and go to the parliament which has the final say.

The Turkish news agency reported an unnamed political source saying that Al-Zurufi started individual talks with members of Shia blocs, noting there is a “development” in this regard.

Shia blocs say that Al-Zurufi is a controversial candidate and has been rejected both in political circles and among the people as well as being rejected by some Shia blocs.

READ: Iraq’s Judicial Council rejects Al-Zurufi’s appointment as ‘unconstitutional’

The political source also said that Al-Zurufi is trying to win the endorsement of members of the Shia blocs individually through a secret vote in the parliament without the knowledge of their leaders.

It is worth noting that five Shia blocs have been in talks to nominate another candidate for the government instead of Al-Zurufi.

On 17 March, Iraqi President Barham Salih asked Al-Zurufi to form the government, giving him 30 days to introduce his government to the parliament.

If the government approved, it would replace the administration headed by Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who was ousted under the pressure of unprecedented popular protests which began in October last year.

Protesters called for a prime minister who is not from the known, corrupt political elite, which has been ruling the country since the US invasion and ouster of the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003.

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