Iraq's PM-designate, top clerics calls for unity post PM’s resignation
Nouri al-Maliki announced late Thursday that he will not seek a third term in office
Baghdad: Iraq's new prime minister-designate says he is committed to fighting corruption and uniting the Iraqi people in the face of terrorism.
In a statement released by his media office Friday, Haider al-Abadi says his Cabinet will be based on "efficiency and integrity, to salvage the country from security, political and economic problems."
Incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced late Thursday that he will not seek a third term in office, moving to defuse a political crisis that had plunged the country into uncertainty as it fights a Sunni insurgency.
Even as opponents welcome the resignation, country's top Shiite cleric urged his successor to carry out dramatic reforms so the new government can take on Sunni insurgents who have overrun large parts of the country.
The man tapped to become the next prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, a veteran Shiite lawmaker, now faces the immense challenge of trying to unite Iraqi politicians as he cobbles together a Cabinet in just over three weeks.
Iraq's major factions deeply distrust each other. Sunni politicians are pressing for greater political influence, saying their disenfranchisement under al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government fuelled support among the Sunni minority for the insurgency, led by the extremist Islamic State group.