Iraqi president quits after rejecting nominee for prime minister

Young journalists club

News ID: 44655
Asia » Asia
Publish Date: 18:49 - 26 December 2019
TEHRAN, Dec 26_Iraqi President Barham Salih has submitted his resignation to parliament after he refused to designate the nominee for premiership, Assad al-Eidani, arguing that he would rather step down than appoint the position to a figure strongly rejected by protesters.

Iraqi president quits after rejecting nominee for prime ministerTEHRAN, Young Journalists Club(YJC)-Salih handed his resignation to the Council of Representatives of Iraq on Thursday, saying since the constitution of the Arab country did not give him the right to reject a nomination, he would rather resign than pick a new premier rejected by demonstrators.

“I apologize for nominating Assad al-Eidani for the role of prime minister,” he wrote in his letter to parliament, adding, “I prefer to resign than to nominate another candidate and this is for the interest of the public.”

Salih stressed that the protest movement made it imperative that politicians look at the interests of the public over personal or political considerations.

“It is better for me to resign rather than to assign an individual that is objected by the protesters to form a government,” he added.

The Iraqi lawmakers will now have to meet to discuss Salih’s resignation and vote on it. If they endorse his move, the veteran politician will step down.  

The development came just a day after parliament’s Binaa bloc nominated 59-year-old al-Eidani, the governor of Basra and a former minister of youth and sports, for the role of prime minister.

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