Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has avoided making controversial statements since coming into office after the parliament’s vote on 14 ministers out of 22 cabinet members on October 24.
Except for his weekly press conferences after cabinet sessions each Tuesday – a tradition adopted by his predecessor Haider al-Abadi – the new PM hasn’t made any remarks to the press.
The only statement he made this week was in response to a question on whether he would resign his post.
His answer was that he would resign if he failed to make a change. Therefore he would "not want to be a partner in failure."
Abdul Mahdi’s hint on his possible resignation came amid a deadlock caused by politicians’ failure to promote their candidates for the remaining eight portfolios.
Independent Iraqi politician Nadim al-Jaberi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the PM has hinted to resign as a means of pressure on different political parties to settle their differences on cabinet posts.
He said that the failure to agree on the portfolios and the persons who would lead the ministries are the result of lack of visions.
“In the past, there was only one big bloc capable of imposing its vision one way or the other. But the situation has changed with the presence of two blocs,” said the politician, in reference to Fatah and Sairoon.
“So it has now become difficult for any of the two blocs to impose its candidates on the other,” Jaberi added.
He warned that the cabinet would collapse if any of the two sides decides the break the will of the other.
Such a collapse would have severe consequences, he said, but Jaberi stressed that the two blocs still have plenty of time to resolve their differences.
