| ABC News | - |
Iraq's
embattled Nouri al-Maliki has stepped down as prime minister, caving in
to international and domestic pressure to give up his post to a rival
politician.
Iraq: Al-Maliki Steps Down, Gives up Post to Rival
Iraq's embattled Nouri al-Maliki has stepped down as prime minister,
caving in to international and domestic pressure to give up his post to a
rival politician.
The move defuses a political deadlock that has plunged Iraq into
uncertainty and opens way for the formation of a new government that
could take on a growing insurgency by Sunni militants that has engulfed
much of the country.
Al-Maliki made the announcement on national television late Thursday,
standing alongside senior members of his Islamic Dawa Party, including
rival Haider al-Abadi. He said he was stepping aside in favor of his
"brother," in order to "facilitate the political process and government
formation."
The premier-designate al-Abadi, a veteran Shiite lawmaker, now faces the
immense challenge of trying to unite Iraqi politicians. The country's
major political factions deeply distrust each other and the army seems
unable to regain territory in the north and west taken by militants from
the Islamic State group.
Al-Maliki had been struggling for weeks to stay on for a third four-year
term as prime minister amid an attempt by opponents to push him out,
accusing him of monopolizing power and pursuing a fiercely pro-Shiite
agenda that has alienated the Sunni minority.
The United States, the U.N. and a broad array of political factions in
Iraq had backed al-Abadi, saying only a new leader could unify a country
under siege from the Islamic State extremists who have captured large
swaths of Iraqi territory.
Al-Maliki said his decision reflected a desire to "safeguard the high
interests of the country," adding that he would not be the cause of any
bloodshed.
His refusal to give up the post after eight years in power had provoked a
political crisis that escalated this week in Baghdad. The pressure
intensified when his Shiite political alliance backed al-Abadi to
replace him, and President Fouad Massoum nominated al-Abadi on Monday to
form the next government. Al-Maliki threatened legal action against the
president for what he said was a violation of the constitution.
But in a meeting of his party earlier Thursday, al-Maliki agreed to
endorse al-Abadi, two senior lawmakers from his State of Law
parliamentary bloc — Hussein al-Maliki and Khalaf Abdul-Samad — told The
Associated Press. The two said al-Maliki also agreed to drop a suit
before the constitutional court challenging al-Abadi's nomination.
The White House commended al-Maliki's move and expressed hope that the
power shift "can set Iraq on a new path and unite its people" against
the threat from Islamic militants, national security adviser Susan Rice
said in a statement.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the move "sets the stage for a historic and peaceful transition of power in Iraq."
Al-Maliki had grown increasingly isolated as he was deserted not only by
his Shiite allies but also top ally Iran, the United States and the
U.N. backed al-Abadi, who has 30 days to put together a Cabinet for
parliament's approval.
The U.N. Security Council urged al-Abadi to work swiftly to form "an
inclusive government that represents all segments of the Iraqi
population and that contributes to finding a viable and sustainable
solution to the country's current challenges."
Iraqis of all sects welcomed Thursday's announcement.
"Now, all we want is a government that respects the people and does not
discriminate against them," said Youssef Ibrahim, 40, a Sunni government
employee in Baghdad.
Adnan Hussein, 45, a Shiite in Sadr City, said he believes al-Maliki is
to blame for much of Iraq's troubles. "The years he ruled were the worst
in Iraq's history and he bears that responsibility," Hussein said.
The U.S. and other countries have been pushing for a more representative
government that will ease anger among Sunnis, who felt marginalized by
al-Maliki's administration, which helped fuel the dramatic sweep by the
Islamic State extremist group.
The militants' lightning advance across much of northern and western
Iraq since June has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their
homes, and last week prompted the U.S. to launch aid operations and
airstrikes as the militants threatened religious minorities and the
largely autonomous Kurdish region.
The U.N. on Wednesday declared the situation in Iraq a "Level 3
Emergency" — a decision that came after some 45,000 members of the
Yazidi religious minority were able to escape from a remote desert
mountaintop where they had been encircled by Islamic State fighters, who
view them as apostates and had vowed to kill any who did not convert to
Islam.
The U.N. said it would provide increased support to the Yazidis and to
400,000 other Iraqis who have fled since June to the Kurdish province of
Dahuk. A total of 1.5 million people have been displaced by the
fighting.
The United States has been carrying out airstrikes in recent days
against Islamic State fighters, helping fend back their advance on
Kurdish regions.
The European Union's foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting
Friday on Iraq to coordinate their stance on military support for the
Kurds and on providing humanitarian assistance for those fleeing the
fighting.
———
Abdul-Zahra reported from Boston. Associated Press writers Vivian
Salama, Sinan Salaheddin and Murtada Faraj in Baghdad, Elaine Ganley in
Paris, and Robert Burns and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this
report.
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