Iraqi political blocs push to replace PM-designate

Baghdad, April 9 (IANS) The Iraqi Kurdish and some Sunni political blocs pushed to support the nomination of intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi to replace the current Prime Minister-designate Adnan al-Zurfi to form a new government.

The Iraqi Forces Coalition, a major Sunni political bloc headed by the Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, on Wednesday announced in a statement its support to nominate al-Kadhimi to be the prime minister-designate, Xinhua news agency reported.

Also on Wednesday, Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the government of Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, said in a statement that his government supports the nomination of al-Kadhimi to form the new government.

On March 17, Iraqi President Barham Salih named al-Zurfi as the prime minister-designate to form an interim government after the Shiite political blocs failed to nominate a candidate for the post due to deep differences.

The latest push to nominate a new prime minister-designate by the major political blocs has decreased al-Zurfi’s chance to pass his cabinet lineup in the parliament.

–IANS

rt/