Prime Minister of Iraq Mustafa al-Kadhimi assumed office

Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi took office after the country’s parliament approved a new government following nearly six months of political wrangling.

Along with Mustafa al-Kadhimi, two other candidates, Mohammed Allawi and Adnan al-Zurfi were nominated by the Iraqi Parliament.

But Mohammed Allawi and Adnan al-Zurfi withdrew after failing to win enough support in parliament. Kadhimi Won with the backing of the biggest political blocs. The Iraq Parliament also approved 15 ministers out of a prospective 22-seat cabinet in a vote of confidence.

Mustafa al-Kadhimi is a Shia Muslim and is seen as a political independent and a pragmatist. The 53-year-old is a former journalist. He wrote against former President Saddam Hussein from exile in Iran and the UK before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

He served as head of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (Inis) from 2016 until April 2020 when he was tasked with forming a government.