Iraq's New Leaders Offer Glimmer Of Hope

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Iraq gained two new leaders and a dose of much needed optimism earlier this month with the appointment of a new president and prime minister.

For a country whose leaders have often disappointed, two exceptional people were tapped to be the highest leaders — in what was Iraq’s fourth peaceful transition of power since 2005.

Barham Salih, a Kurdish politician, was voted by parliament into the position of president. His first act was to name Adil Abdul-Mahdi to be prime minister, conditional upon his formation of a government within 30 days. Mahdi was picked by the country’s newly elected president to head the government of OPEC’s second-biggest producer.

Iraqi leaders have struggled to form a government since inconclusive elections in May, and the new premier will take over amid a wave of unrest over corruption and poor services. Deadly protests last month in the oil-rich southern province of Basra left some government offices and the Iranian consulate burned to the ground.

Iraq is also a political battleground in the escalating contest between the U.S. and Iran, whose focal point is the civil war in neighbouring Syria. Like Iran, Iraq has supported President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Some may see this duo as part of the old guard; both have been active in Iraqi politics since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Salih has been deputy prime minister of Iraq, and prime minister of Iraqi Kurdistan. Abdul-Mahdi was formerly vice president of Iraq and more recently oil minister.