PM Abadi announces candidacy for parliamentary elections
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that he will run for the upcoming parliamentary elections after forming a cross-sectarian block called ‘‘the victory alliance’’ to contest.
In a statement released by Shafaq News on Sunday, Abadi called on “loyal and political parties in Iraq” to join his new patriotic alliance in order to secure a better future for coming generations.
“The victory alliance will continue to maintain the great triumph achieved over terrorism, honor sacrifices of soldiers who were either killed or injured in the battlefields and combat all forms of corruption,” the statement read.
Abadi further highlighted that the newly-formed bloc will work on bringing all Iraqis together, maintaining the country’s security and sovereignty and achieving justice and equity among the Iraqi people.
“It is the time now to start Iraq’s reconstruction and achieve reconciliation among the Iraqi people,” the statement concluded.
Abadi took over the premiership in 2014 from Nuri al-Maliki, who also announced his candidacy for the May 12 parliamentary elections under his alliance, called “state of law”.
Maliki was criticized by Iraqi politicians for the army’s collapse as Islamic State militants swept through a third of Iraq, however, he remains a powerful political figure as head of the Dawa party and the largest political bloc in the current parliament.
The Iraqi parliament is yet to approve the May 12 date for the elections.