Iraqi prime minister-designate faces challenges in gaining political support
Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adnan al-Zurfi is struggling to secure the needed parliamentary votes for his Cabinet.
As Iraq's Prime Minister-designate Adnan al-Zurfi struggles to secure adequate parliamentary votes for his candidacy, Iraqi political parties are uncertain about whether they should support him, find a new candidate or even keep caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi in office.
President Barham Salih nominated Zurfi on March 17. He must now form a Cabinet and obtain parliamentary approval for that Cabinet by April 17 to become prime minister.
Unlike the previous prime minister-designate, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, who failed to form a Cabinet due to a lack of parliamentary support, Zurfi is the leader of the Nasr parliamentary bloc, headed by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. However, this bloc is small, made up of 27 members, which means Zurfi must negotiate with other political parties to secure votes, especially since Iraqi political parties are prone to changing their decisions in the blink of an eye.
Shiite camp is divided
