BAGHDAD, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Hadi al-Ameri, leader of Iranian-backed paramilitary Hashd Shaabi, said Tuesday that he withdrew his nomination for prime minister post, asserting the need for political consensus to make progress in the political process.
"I announce to the Iraqi people that I withdraw my nomination for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) to opened the way for the electing another prime minister of Iraq, according to conditions set by the Marjiyah (or religious authority)," Ameri said in a press conference in Baghdad.
"There is no choice but going to political consensus in the political process, and the preference of the public interest on the private one," said Ameri who heads al-Fatih (Conquest) Coalition, an electoral bloc which came in second in the May 12 national election, with 48 seats.
On Sept. 13, outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also said that he will not hold onto the post of prime minister for a second term.
"We do not cling to power, but we abide by the constitutional procedures," Abadi said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting, adding that the decision was made after what he has seen "from the political conflict over this post."
Meanwhile, Abadi expressed his respect for "the directives of the Supreme Religious Marjiyah," the Shiite religious authority headed by the spiritual Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Earlier reports said Marjiyah does not support the Iraqi prime ministers in the past years.
So far, the Iraqi newly-elected parliament named Mohammed al-Halbousi as parliament speaker and two deputies. Halbousi set Sept. 25 date for next parliament session and announced nomination for the post of president.
According to the Iraqi constitution, the parliament will elect the president from among the candidates by a two-third majority of its members. Then, the elected president will ask the largest alliance to form a government within 30 days.
The political blocs in parliament have yet to end their tough negotiations over forming the largest alliance to establish the government for the next four years, as both the Alliances, one backed by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Abadi, and another led by Ameri and former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, claim to be the largest alliance in parliament.
