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| Iraqi Parliament Elects New President as Rockets Target Green Zone | Iraqi Parliament Elects New President as Rockets Target Green Zone |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Iraqi Parliament elected Abdul Latif Rashid, 78, a Kurdish British-educated engineer and former minister, as president on Thursday, the first step in breaking a crippling deadlock that has left the country without a new government for the past year. | The Iraqi Parliament elected Abdul Latif Rashid, 78, a Kurdish British-educated engineer and former minister, as president on Thursday, the first step in breaking a crippling deadlock that has left the country without a new government for the past year. |
| The election of a new president paved the way for the nominee for prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, to form a government. Mr. Sudani, a former human rights and labor minister, now has 30 days to present his cabinet choices to Parliament — a process usually carried out in back-room negotiations between parties before the cabinet is presented for approval. | The election of a new president paved the way for the nominee for prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, to form a government. Mr. Sudani, a former human rights and labor minister, now has 30 days to present his cabinet choices to Parliament — a process usually carried out in back-room negotiations between parties before the cabinet is presented for approval. |
| Members began voting less than an hour after Katyusha rockets targeted the heavily guarded Green Zone, where Parliament is based, and other areas of Baghdad, including near the train station. No one had taken responsibility for the attacks by nighttime in Iraq. | Members began voting less than an hour after Katyusha rockets targeted the heavily guarded Green Zone, where Parliament is based, and other areas of Baghdad, including near the train station. No one had taken responsibility for the attacks by nighttime in Iraq. |
| Parliament members elected Mr. Rashid in a secret ballot over the current president, Barham Salih, also a Kurd, who was felled by inter-Kurdish politics. In the Iraqi political system, the president is always a member of the Kurdish minority. | Parliament members elected Mr. Rashid in a secret ballot over the current president, Barham Salih, also a Kurd, who was felled by inter-Kurdish politics. In the Iraqi political system, the president is always a member of the Kurdish minority. |
| The voting went to a second round of balloting with a final count of 162 votes for Mr. Rashid and 99 votes for Mr. Salih, according to the Parliament media office. Mr. Rashid is an independent Kurdish politician who was previously a water minister. | The voting went to a second round of balloting with a final count of 162 votes for Mr. Rashid and 99 votes for Mr. Salih, according to the Parliament media office. Mr. Rashid is an independent Kurdish politician who was previously a water minister. |
| The Coordination Framework, a political bloc made up of mostly Iran-backed Shiite parties, is considered the biggest alliance in Parliament and has the right to nominate a prime minister. On Thursday it presented the candidacy of Mr. Sudani, who served as human rights minister and then labor minister in two successive Iraqi governments. | |
| Mr. Sudani, a three-term member of Parliament who was a city mayor and then a provincial governor before joining the federal government, has pledged if elected to improve public services, crack down on corruption and carry out other government reforms — aims similar to those of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Mr. Sadr threw Iraqi politics into further turmoil this year when he withdrew his members of Parliament — then the single biggest block in the chamber. | Mr. Sudani, a three-term member of Parliament who was a city mayor and then a provincial governor before joining the federal government, has pledged if elected to improve public services, crack down on corruption and carry out other government reforms — aims similar to those of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Mr. Sadr threw Iraqi politics into further turmoil this year when he withdrew his members of Parliament — then the single biggest block in the chamber. |
| Analysts said Mr. Sudani’s long experience in government and his backing by key political players could prove a stabilizing influence on Iraq’s turbulent political scene. | Analysts said Mr. Sudani’s long experience in government and his backing by key political players could prove a stabilizing influence on Iraq’s turbulent political scene. |
| “The difference between him and all the other prime ministers is he comes to office with a very long track record of being in government,” said Farhad Alaaldin, chairman of the Iraqi Advisory Council research group. “In comparison all the other prime ministers have come from outside government to become prime ministers with little experience in how the country is run.” | “The difference between him and all the other prime ministers is he comes to office with a very long track record of being in government,” said Farhad Alaaldin, chairman of the Iraqi Advisory Council research group. “In comparison all the other prime ministers have come from outside government to become prime ministers with little experience in how the country is run.” |
| The current prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, is a former intelligence chief who took office as a compromise candidate after massive protests led to the downfall of the Iraqi government in 2019. Although backed by the United States and accepted by Iran, Mr. Kadhimi ultimately did not have the domestic political base to stay in power. | The current prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, is a former intelligence chief who took office as a compromise candidate after massive protests led to the downfall of the Iraqi government in 2019. Although backed by the United States and accepted by Iran, Mr. Kadhimi ultimately did not have the domestic political base to stay in power. |
| Mr. Salih, 62, went beyond a ceremonial role after taking office in 2018, playing a key mediating role between feuding political leaders and proposing initiatives that included measures to address climate change. While widely regarded by the international community as a welcome modernizing force in Iraqi politics, Mr. Salih, a protégé of late President Jalal Talabani, did not have the wide political backing within the Kurdistan Region needed to remain president. | Mr. Salih, 62, went beyond a ceremonial role after taking office in 2018, playing a key mediating role between feuding political leaders and proposing initiatives that included measures to address climate change. While widely regarded by the international community as a welcome modernizing force in Iraqi politics, Mr. Salih, a protégé of late President Jalal Talabani, did not have the wide political backing within the Kurdistan Region needed to remain president. |
| A falling-out with a Kurdish elder statesman, Masoud Barzani, whose party dominates Kurdish politics, and rivalries between the two main Kurdish parties ended his chances of retaining the post. | A falling-out with a Kurdish elder statesman, Masoud Barzani, whose party dominates Kurdish politics, and rivalries between the two main Kurdish parties ended his chances of retaining the post. |
| Mr. Salih in a Twitter message congratulated Mr. Rashid and said he would continue to “support the path of reform for the sake of a capable country serving its citizens.” | Mr. Salih in a Twitter message congratulated Mr. Rashid and said he would continue to “support the path of reform for the sake of a capable country serving its citizens.” |
| As lawmakers gathered on Thursday in the Parliament building, nine Katyusha rockets landed in the Green Zone and other parts of Baghdad. Iraqi security officials said at least three people were wounded, and buildings and vehicles were damaged. | As lawmakers gathered on Thursday in the Parliament building, nine Katyusha rockets landed in the Green Zone and other parts of Baghdad. Iraqi security officials said at least three people were wounded, and buildings and vehicles were damaged. |
| Mr. Kadhimi called the attacks an “attempt to obstruct the democratic process.” | Mr. Kadhimi called the attacks an “attempt to obstruct the democratic process.” |
| Most of the rockets landed in the Green Zone, which houses Parliament and other government buildings, but at least two hit near the offices of the Dawa Party of another former prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and a television station linked to him. | Most of the rockets landed in the Green Zone, which houses Parliament and other government buildings, but at least two hit near the offices of the Dawa Party of another former prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and a television station linked to him. |
| Mr. Maliki is a bitter rival of Mr. Sadr, who announced in August he was leaving politics. | Mr. Maliki is a bitter rival of Mr. Sadr, who announced in August he was leaving politics. |
| After that announcement, Mr. Sadr’s followers stormed the Green Zone, leading to clashes with Iran-backed militias that are part of the government security forces in fighting between Shiite paramilitary groups that was unprecedented in intensity and scope. | After that announcement, Mr. Sadr’s followers stormed the Green Zone, leading to clashes with Iran-backed militias that are part of the government security forces in fighting between Shiite paramilitary groups that was unprecedented in intensity and scope. |
| Mr. Sadr’s political bloc won the biggest single bloc of seats in Parliament in elections last October, outmaneuvering Iraq’s traditional Iran-backed parties. Mr. Sadr has portrayed himself as an Iraqi nationalist, rejecting interference in Iraqi affairs by Iran as well as other countries. | Mr. Sadr’s political bloc won the biggest single bloc of seats in Parliament in elections last October, outmaneuvering Iraq’s traditional Iran-backed parties. Mr. Sadr has portrayed himself as an Iraqi nationalist, rejecting interference in Iraqi affairs by Iran as well as other countries. |
| A key aide to Mr. Sadr, Hassan Al-Adhari, condemned Thursday’s rocket attacks. “Anyone who uses weapons to obstruct the Parliament session is loyal to the corrupt,” Mr. Adhari said. | A key aide to Mr. Sadr, Hassan Al-Adhari, condemned Thursday’s rocket attacks. “Anyone who uses weapons to obstruct the Parliament session is loyal to the corrupt,” Mr. Adhari said. |
| Parliament was also targeted with rockets last month when it met in a failed attempt to elect a speaker. | Parliament was also targeted with rockets last month when it met in a failed attempt to elect a speaker. |
| About 20 members of Parliament boycotted the vote Thursday, most of them members of opposition parties made up of reformists elected from the protest movement that sparked the resignation of the Iraqi government in 2019 after hundreds of demonstrators were killed by security forces. | |
| Alaa al-Rikabi, head of the Imtidad movement, said his party was boycotting the vote, arguing that the procedure was based on the same quota system that he said had produced weak, corrupt governments. | Alaa al-Rikabi, head of the Imtidad movement, said his party was boycotting the vote, arguing that the procedure was based on the same quota system that he said had produced weak, corrupt governments. |
| Protests that began over lack of clean water and electricity three years ago widened to include demands that Iraq scrap the government-selection process set up after the United States invaded in 2003. | Protests that began over lack of clean water and electricity three years ago widened to include demands that Iraq scrap the government-selection process set up after the United States invaded in 2003. |
| Under that system, the prime minister is Shiite, the president a Kurd and the speaker of Parliament a Sunni Arab. Government ministries have traditionally been allocated to powerful political parties that have used them to siphon money, leaving the oil-rich country with failing health care and education systems and a lack of basic services. | Under that system, the prime minister is Shiite, the president a Kurd and the speaker of Parliament a Sunni Arab. Government ministries have traditionally been allocated to powerful political parties that have used them to siphon money, leaving the oil-rich country with failing health care and education systems and a lack of basic services. |
| Because it has had only a caretaker government for the past year, Parliament has not been able to approve an annual budget, leaving billions of dollars in oil revenue unspent. | Because it has had only a caretaker government for the past year, Parliament has not been able to approve an annual budget, leaving billions of dollars in oil revenue unspent. |
| The United Nation’s representative to Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, told the Security Council this month that the protracted political crisis was “breeding further instability in Iraq,” which already was suffering from severe public disillusionment with the political process. | The United Nation’s representative to Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, told the Security Council this month that the protracted political crisis was “breeding further instability in Iraq,” which already was suffering from severe public disillusionment with the political process. |