Newly-elected President Barham Salih met with Prime Minister-designate Adil Abdul-Mahdi and outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday, tweeting that their message is “Peaceful transition of power and cooperation to serve the people of Iraq.”
Mohammed al-Halbousi, who as speaker of the parliament holds the third presidency, told reporters during a trip to Egypt on Thursday, “We are adamant on injecting new, young blood to serve Iraq and erase the traditional picture of state administration.”
This government will face monumental challenges of rebuilding the war-shattered country, rooting out corruption, and restoring the people’s faith in institutions and politicians.
An economist, Abdul-Mahdi has 30 days to put together a cabinet. He told America’s top diplomat that rebuilding the country will be a priority of his government.
He “reiterated that his government will prioritize rebuilding the country, providing services to citizens, bolstering foreign relations with the international community,” read a statement from his office after a phone call with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Iraqi state TV reported.
Strengthening security will also be a focus, he added.
Pompeo said Washington is looking forward to working closely with Baghdad in his Thursday phone call with Abdul-Mahdi and a Wednesday phone call with Salih.
The new leaders in Baghdad are also making it publicly clear that Iraq values its sovereignty and will not take part in regional or international rivalries.
Halbousi said they “reject external intervention in our domestic affairs,” and will not allow Iraq to “become the field of settling scores.”
Iraqis, who shed blood together in the fight against ISIS, have proved to the world that they are united, he said.
