SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Iraqi President Barham Salih announced Dec. 26 that he was ready to resign. The president has faced pressure from protesters and Iranian-backed Shiite parties to name a new prime minister, but, in a letter to parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi, Salih said he would rather resign than nominate Asaad al-Eidani for prime minister.
The Iran-backed al-Binaa Alliance proposed the candidacy of Eidani, the current governor of Basra. According to the Iraqi Constitution, the president must present the prime minister candidate chosen by the largest bloc of parliament for a vote.
