Adnan al Zourfi, former governor of Nadjaf province without great political scope at the national level, was appointed Prime Minister of Iraq with the charge of constituting a government within thirty days, in order to break the country out of its political deadlock and of his social crisis.
Adnan al Zourfi, who ruled the Shiite province of Nadjaf during the American occupation after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, is the leader of the small parliamentary coalition Nasr of former Prime Minister Haidar al Abadi, considered as an ally of the United States.
Read also: Ahmed Saadawi: "The voice that rose in Tahrir Square represents the hope of a new Iraq"
Parliamentarians told Reuters that President Barham Saleh chose Adnan al-Zourfi by default after the failure of other major Shiite parties to agree on the name of a successor to Adel Abdoul Mahdi.
The latter resigned in November in the face of large demonstrations by Iraqis denouncing the corruption of the elites and their own daily difficulties. The repression of this protest movement has left hundreds of people dead.
Adnan al Zourfi, a former US refugee in the 1990s and perceived as a secular figure, may find it difficult to gain support from the Iraqi parliament due to opposition from Iranian-backed movements over his appointment .