Alghadeer TV Alghadeer TV
The governor of Basra, Assad Al Eidani, was nominated on Wednesday to serve as Iraq’s next prime minister, reports said, despite the public’s refusal to accept a political figure to head the next government.
Rising public anger at the poor quality of public services, corruption and unemployment have led to mass protests across Baghdad and southern provinces over the past few months.
Mr. Al Eidani, the former minister of youth and sports, is the latest candidate to be chosen by parliament’s Binaa bloc.
“President Barham Salih is now in a meeting with the Al Eidani,” an Iraqi official said on Wednesday. “The public may reject his nomination.”
The Binaa bloc previously nominated Mohammad Al Sudani, a former member of the country’s Islamic Dawa Party, to take the position but protesters fiercely rejected him.
Qusay Al Suhail, who served as a higher education minister in the government of Mr. Abdul Mahdi, was also nominated but was opposed by the public.
Outgoing premier Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned last month and talks over his post have been deadlocked after a series of deadlines to name a new prime minister expired at midnight on Sunday.
The development came as parliament passed a new electoral law on Tuesday in an attempt to calm public frustration.
The development will allow voters to elect individual politicians instead of choosing from party lists.
In addition, each member of parliament will get to represent a specific electoral district instead of groups of legislators.
But the amendments alone will not be enough to please the protesters.
Protesters have demanded not just a new electoral law, but also the removal of the entire ruling elite seen as enriching itself off the state and serving foreign powers, above all Iran, as many Iraqis languish in poverty without jobs, healthcare or education, and an independent premier with no party affiliation.
