Iraq’s new president hopes to quickly form a government

New Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid yesterday expressed hope that he would “quickly” form a new government that would be “strong” and “meet the aspirations of the people,” adding that he would seek “balanced” relations with neighboring countries. After a year of political paralysis, the Iraqi parliament on Thursday elected compromise candidate Abdul Latif Rashid (78) as president of the republic. In his speech yesterday at the inauguration ceremony at the Al-Salam Palace in Baghdad, Rashid said: “We remember what the dear Iraqi people expect from the new government, which we hope will be formed quickly, will be strong, effective. and banded together to satisfy the people’s desire for security, stability and service.” Immediately after his election, Rashid Muhammad Shia al-Sudani (52), a candidate for the coordinating framework, was tasked with forming a new government, a position that, according to Iraqi constitutional customs, requires that it be returned to the Shiite community. The newly appointed prime minister has 30 days from the date of his appointment to submit a new government formation. But in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like Iraq, negotiations between the main parties often influence the process of government formation and can become an obstacle to meeting constitutional deadlines. For his part, Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, the main opponent of the framework, has said that his movement will not participate in the next government. The nomination of a coordinating structure for Muhammad Shia al-Sudani in the summer caused tension between this structure and the Sadrist movement, whose supporters staged a sit-in in front of parliament for a month in the summer. Tensions came to a head on August 29 when 30 of his supporters were killed in clashes inside the Green Zone with the army and the People’s Mobilization Detachment, Shia armed groups loyal to Iran and linked to the state apparatus. Rashid, a hydraulic engineer, added in a speech on Monday that he would make every effort to “bring political forces together and sponsor their dialogue to achieve this goal.”