2 March 2020 - 22:35

Iraqi acting PM Abdul Mahdi called for early elections

<p style="text-align: left;">Iraq&rsquo;s acting prime minister said on Monday he was standing down from most of his duties and called for early elections, one day after the man who had been designated to become premier withdrew his candidacy.

The decision by caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi deepened a power vacuum and further complicated Iraq’s faltering efforts to deal with mass unrest, a reawakening Islamic State and a spreading coronavirus infection.

Abdul Mahdi, who was pushed out by protests but had stayed on temporarily, called on parliament to hold early elections on December 4.

Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, who was tapped by President Barham Salih to succeed Abdul Mahdi, withdrew his candidacy on Sunday, accusing political parties of obstructing him.

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