Iraq Appoints New PM

Iraqi President Barham Salih used his executive power to select Allawi (Wikipedia)

Mohammad Allawi was appointed Prime Minister of Iraq on February 1 in a move designed to revitalize the Iraqui political system. Allawi, former Minister of Communications, was designated for his new role by President Barham Salih. The position had been vacant for more than two months, with former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigning on November 30. 

In a video posted on Twitter after the announcement was made, Allawi attempted to gain the support of the protestors, saying, “You protested for your homeland, and if I am not able to fulfill your demands that I am unworthy of this position.” The protestors did not respond in kind, with Al Jazeera reporting that after Allawi’s appointment, hundreds gathered “In the capital's Tahrir Square chanting, ‘Mohammed Allawi, rejected!’" 

The protests, ongoing since October 1 and claiming the lives of over 480, are youth-driven and target corruption and unemployment. To them, Allawi is seen as an extension of the status quo, with Sajad Jiyad, a director of Al-Bayan Center, an Iraqi think tank, telling Al-Jazeera that Allawi will be “Beholden to the same political system they accuse of corruption and are protesting against.”

It has not yet been determined whether Salih will have a significant impact on the current Iraqi political crisis. Allawi has one month to form a cabinet, and while he has received support from important figures such as the former Prime Minister and Moqtada Al-Sadr, an Iraqi cleric, it seems that this deadlock will continue until the protestors are satisfied by change.