After four months of protests and upheaval, President Braham Salih handed over the government's job to Mohammed Twafik Alawi, a former media minister who has earned a reputation as a corruption fighter

• Miraculous demonstrators in Baghdad militia // Photo: Reuters

Iraqi President Braham Salahi has appointed former Minister of Communications Mohamed Tawafik Alawi as prime minister and has been tasked with forming the government.

The president has set a month-long ultimatum for the assembly of the new government, which will be used until a new parliamentary term is set for the state, which has been four months into unprecedented popular protest, particularly in the capital of Baghdad and the southern state.

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The nomination comes after today's ultimatum expired by President Flement to vote for an agreed candidate. The President announced that after the allotted time, he would act unilaterally to appoint a new government.

Corruption warrior record, Mohammed Alawi

Alawi, an opposition member of the Saddam Hussein regime's coffers, served as communications minister in Nuri Al Maliki's government from 2006-2007 and again between 2010 and 2012. The choice of Alawi probably relies on his reputation as a warrior of corruption.

Being the Minister of Communications, Alawi set tough conditions for the active media companies in the country and severely punished companies that used bribery to uphold their interests. Alawi is considered to oppose sectarian politics in Iraq and has left Maliki's second government in protest following allegations that she is working only to promote Shia interests.

Meanwhile, the huge turnaround in Baghdad was renewed today after the cleric and the head of the country's largest parliamentary coalition, Muqtada a-Sadr, called on protesters to take to the streets demanding new elections.