After Iraq PM’s Resignation, Next Steps Are Unclear

MPs complain constitution doesn't specify what happens now

Iraq’s parliament has voted Sunday to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who tendered his resignation late last week in the face of mounting protests and opposition.

Abdul-Mahdi’s resignation ends slightly over a year in office, but doesn’t end the protests, which were demanding much greater reforms than simply one official being ousted. The path isn’t entirely clear for what comes next politically, however.

Some Iraqi MPs are complaining that the constitution doesn’t have a specific formula for what happens when the PM is removed from power, though this is not the first time this has happened in Iraq since the US invasion and occupation.

While there is no obvious successor for Abdul-Mahdi right now, the parliament has tasked President Barham Saleh to nominate a new premier. That’s probably not going to happen right away, and in the meantime, there will likely be calls to advance on a new election.

Though it’s preferable to have at least an interim premier given all that’s going on, interim may be all Iraq can muster at this point, as anyone taking on the job on a permanent basis is going to face an immediate, herculean task in trying to placate the protests and ready a fresh vote in reformed circumstances.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.