Iraqi PM-assign Allawi says he has chosen Cabinet, calls parliament for vote of confidence
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Roshan Amiri
- . February 20, 2020
- . Update: February 20, 2020 7:18 pm
On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister-assign Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi announced he has assembled a cabinet of political independents and seeks parliament to hold a separate session one week from now to give a vote of confidence
Iraq is confronting an unprecedented domestic crisis as almost 500 citizens have been killed since 1 October as protesters demand the removal of the corrupt government and an end to foreign interference for particularly Iran
In a televised address, Allawi affirmed that if his administration wins the vote of confidence, his first responsibility will be to investigate the killing of protestors give them justice.
He additionally vowed to hold early elections free from “the influence of weapons, money and foreign interference.” He urged protestors to give his administration an opportunity regardless of the crisis of trust in everything related to politics,” and hence he criticized his predecessors for the failures.
He included a “new page” that had been turned in Iraq’s history and that the time to start afresh.
President Barham Salih assigned Allawi head on 1 February following months of a row with lawmakers from rival parties. However, protesters promptly dismissed him as corrupt.
Ere Wednesday, outgoing Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi urged political pioneers to affirm Allawi’s cabinet immediately.
The demonstrations compelled Abdul Mahdi to resign in November. However, he has remained as a caretaker. On Wednesday, he announced he would step down from his post, however, if political pioneers decline to back Allawi by 2 March, conceivably producing an unprecedented vacuum at the highest point of the legislature.
“It would not be right or fitting for me to stay in power after 2 March, and I will have no plan of action; however, to implement the content of the constitution and the cabinet’s internal ordinances,” he added. Abdul Mahdi has already quit chairing weekly government meetings, according to The National.
According to The National, it took Iraq’s political administration until 1 February to concur on Allawi to supplant Abdul Mahdi, missing the constitutional time limit to delegate one within 15 days of his resignation.
Allawi now takes control over a legislature entrusted with managing early elections. The constitution gives him until 2 March to offer a cabinet to parliament for endorsement. He has asked parliament to assemble on 24 February.
