UN, Iran Welcome Appointment of New Iraqi PM

Arab World

February 3rd, 7:37am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Newly appointed Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi delivers a televised speech in Baghdad, Iraq February 1, 2020. Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/Handout via REUTERS

The Representative of UN Secretary-General in Iraq, Jeanin Hennis Plasschaert, welcomed on Sunday the appointment of Iraqi Premier-designate Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi, calling for swift action to achieve fundamental reforms and meet the legitimate demands of the people for justice and accountability. "Iraq is an urgent need to move forward. The Prime Minister-designate faces a huge task: to quickly form a cabinet and to ratify parliament to move forward with meaningful reforms that meet popular demands and achieve justice and accountability,” she said. Plasschaert stressed that the way forward remains fraught with difficulties, saying progress will require the support of all actors involved in Allawi’s work to serve the Iraqi people. "The commitments made in the Prime Minister-designate's statement fulfill many of the demands of peaceful protesters. While this is certainly an encouraging and welcome indication, the Iraqi people will ultimately judge the leadership of the country through results and achievements,” the UN representative said. She affirmed that the United Nations has repeatedly called on all stakeholders to move beyond partisanship and put the national interest first, adding that the UN will continue to support the Iraqi people and their government to build a more peaceful, just and prosperous Iraq. “It is time to act,” Plasschaert said, urging the Prime Minister-designate not to spare an effort to get Iraq out of its crisis. Meanwhile, Iran on Sunday offered its full support for the new Iraqi prime minister and reiterated its backing for the government’s demand for US forces to leave the country. On Saturday, President Barham Salih appointed Allawi to form the new government in Iraq with hopes to calm down protests that erupted in the country months ago. Also in response to Allawi's appointment, the US Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement Saturday that "current conditions in Iraq and the region require an independent and honest government committed to addressing the needs of the Iraqi people. The nomination of Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi as a new Prime Minister must be followed up with efforts to accomplish that objective."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2112676/un-iran-welcome-appointment-new-iraqi-pm