Anti-government protesters in Iraq have been quick to dismiss President Barham Salih’s appointment of Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as prime minister-designate, as rallies took place in the capital, Baghdad, and cities in the country’s southern provinces.
The president’s move to end more than two months of political deadlock came after he issued an ultimatum to Iraq’s fractious parliament, warning that if they did not appoint a new prime minister by Saturday he would do so himself.
But Salih’s announcemnet was not welcomed by the protesters who have camped out for months calling for an overhaul of Iraq’s political system, with hundreds in the capital’s Tahrir Square chanting “Mohammed Allawi, rejected!”, according to videos posted on social media.
In the southern city of Nasiriyah, demonstrators issued a statement saying they categorically rejected Allawi’s selection.
“He is the compromised candidate that belongs to the sectarian power sharing political system (muhasasa) we are protesting against, and does not represent the aspirations of the protest sites,” the statement said. “Based on this, our response will be to escalate things stronger than on previous occasions.”
Allawi’s appointment, the statement continued, was brought about “by the same criminal, corrupt class that brought us to where we are now”.
Since October, the leaderless anti-government protest movement has demanded the removal of the country’s ruling political elite and an end to corruption. The protesters’ demands include the appointment of a politically independent figure as prime minister, early elections, and holding accountable those who have killed at least 500 protesters so far.
Despite ex-prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi formally resigning on November 30, he agreed to continue in a caretaker capacity until a successor was chosen, with the resulting deadlock leading demonstrators to accuse the establishment of deliberate stalling.
According to the constitution, a replacement for Abdul Mahdi should have been identified 15 days after his resignation. Instead, it has taken rival blocs more than two months of jockeying to select Allawi as their consensus candidate.
Source: Al Jazeera News
