Iraq PM-Designate Withdraws Candidacy as Kurds, Opposition Block Cabinet

Kurds reach deal with opposition to prevent govt formation

Iraqi PM-designate Mohammed Allawi’s candidacy ended on Sunday, when he announced he is withdrawing from consideration after being unable to form a government in the face of political opposition.

Allawi’s chances of forming a government collapsed over the weekend with an announced deal between opposition blocs and the Kurds. This precluded getting enough votes to form a government, and rather than wait, Allawi has chosen to back away, leaving the president to find another candidate.

Finding a candidate who is both palatable to a political majority and to mass anti-government protest movements is a tall order. The only reason anyone thought Allawi could win was because of the Sadrist bloc backing him.

This could end up being a big blow for Sadr, who committed heavily to Allawi’s interim government, cost himself a lot of support from the protest movement, and ended up with no government at all.

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.