Larijani Felicitates Election of Iraq’s New Prime Minister

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani congratulated Iraq’s religious authority, people and government on the election of the country’s new prime minister.
“I hope the new Iraqi government could take an important step to restore stability and calm to that country and overcome the differences,” Larijani told reporters on the sidelines of the annual gathering of Iranian ambassadors and heads of Iran’s diplomatic missions abroad on Tuesday night.

The Iranian parliament speaker also wished success for the government and nation of “the friendly and neighboring country (of Iraq)”.

On Tuesday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani voiced Tehran’s support for the legal procedures taken in Iraq for the appointment of Iraq’s new Prime Minister, and stressed that the new Iraqi prime minister should be named by the majority fraction at the parliament as envisaged in the constitution.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the legal procedure paved for choosing the new Iraqi prime minister,” Shamkhani said, addressing the annual gathering of the Iranian ambassadors and heads of Iran’s diplomatic missions abroad in Tehran yesterday.

“The legal frameworks envisaged in Iraq’s Constitution, which is the country’s national convention, present the basis for the election of the prime minister by the majority fraction at Iraq’s national assembly,” he said, and extended his congratulations to Al-Abadi as Iraq’s new prime minister.

Shamkhani called on all Iraqi groups and coalitions to keep united and respect the frameworks of national unity to protect the country’s national interests and the rule of the law, and demanded them to show much care and attention to the sensitive situation in Iraq which is faced with foreign threats.

He lauded the religious leadership’s role as a pivot for maintaining solidarity and unity in Iraq, and underlined Iran’s support for an integrated and secure Iraq which renders service to its people and enhances its regional position.

Iraq’s President Fuad Masum has asked al-Abadi to form a new government.

Abadi has been nominated as prime minister by some Shiite parties, while other Shiite parties, including the State of the Law have named incumbent Nouri Maliki as their choice for premiership. According to Iraq’s constitution, the majority fraction at the parliament should name the prime minister. Also according to the constitution, the country’s president should be a Kurd, while the parliament speaker should be chosen from the Sunnis and the Prime Minister should be appointed from the Shiites.

Maliki has made it clear he wants to stand for a third term, and earlier said he intends to take the president to court.