Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Friday he would present his resignation to parliament so lawmakers could choose a new government, acc
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Friday he would present his resignation to parliament so lawmakers could choose a new government, according to a statement from his office.
Abdul Mahdi’s decision came in response to a call for a change of leadership on Friday by Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the statement said.
“I will submit to the esteemed parliament a formal letter requesting my resignation from the premiership,” Abdel Mahdi said in a statement.
The sudden turnaround came after nearly two months of bloody protests against the ruling class that have left more than 400 dead and 15,000 wounded and was met with cheers from protesters in Baghdad’s iconic Tahrir (Liberation) Square.