Iraq’s designated Prime Minister Adnan al-Zurfi said he will make sure to prepare free, fair, transparent elections within a maximum period of one year from forming the next government.
In a statement released on state news agency (INA) late on Tuesday he also said he will work to confine arms to the hands of the state, eliminate all armed manifestations, and enforce state authority, INA reported.
He also vowed to respond to the demands of protesters hitting the streets for months over government graft and inefficiency.
He has 30 days to pull together a cabinet, which would be put to a vote of confidence in parliament.
Zurfi, 54, was appointed by President Barham Salih after major Shiite political parties failed to agree on a candidate. Mohammed Allawi was appointed PM-designate before him, but was forced to withdraw, citing obstruction from political blocs.
Zurfi’s appointment was quickly spurned by the Fatah bloc, parliament's second-largest.
"We reject the president's unconstitutional step," said a statement by Fatah, the political arm of the Popular Mobilization Forces that includes factions loyal to Iran.
The United States was more upbeat. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iraqis wanted "a government that upholds Iraq's sovereignty, provides basic needs, is free of corruption, and protects their human rights."
If Zurfi "puts these interests first, he will have US and international support," Pompeo wrote on Twitter.
Moderate voice
Zurfi is respected for focusing on public services and security but faces resistance from factions wary of his close ties with the United States.
The 54-year-old lawmaker is the ex-governor of the city of Najaf, has advanced degrees in religious studies and was a long-time member of the Dawa Party which opposed late ruler Saddam Hussein.
After a failed 1991 uprising against Saddam, Zurfi fled to Saudi Arabia and then on to the United States, returning to Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003.
He is an Iraqi-US dual national and his wife, five sons and two daughters still live in the United States.
Under Iraqi law, he would have to renounce his American citizenship to take up the premiership, which is yet to be confirmed by parliament.
Zurfi was appointed Najaf governor in 2004 by the US occupation force, to take on the Mehdi Army of populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, which was attacking American troops. He later managed to repair his relationship with Sadr, now a kingmaker in Iraqi politics.
Zurfi has been able to build a public profile in Iraq as a TV talk show regular, clean-shaven and with his silver-tinged hair slicked back.
Fellow MP Sarkawt Shamsaddin said Zurfi had earned respect for taking the initiative on social and economic projects and described him as "a moderate Shiite voice who is supportive of ties with the West".
In order to win the premiership, he will have to overcome the resistance of political factions allied with Iran, which is an influential force in Iraqi politics.
Young newcomer
As a relatively young newcomer in Baghdad, there are hopes Zurfi could shake up politics after months of paralysis.
"Zurfi is a new name and that's probably more an advantage than a disadvantage," said Sajad Jiyad, an Iraqi analyst, according to AFP.
Zurfi's very first challenge will be forming a cabinet that is acceptable to the country's rival Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish blocs -- and to the demonstrators -- within 30 days.
He served as governor until 2015 and won his second parliamentary term in the 2018 election as part of the Nasr coalition, led by ex-PM Haidar al-Abadi.
However, because he has not served in the post-2003 federal government, he would likely not be seen by protesters as "an old face that's been recycled," said Jiyad.
He will also have "learned the lessons of Allawi: you have to strike deals with the blocs and engage with them on cabinet formation," the analyst added.
His senior role in the Nasr coalition also grants him an early advantage over both Allawi and caretaker PM Adel Abdel Mahdi, neither of whom hailed from a political bloc.
In addition to Nasr, Sunni and Kurdish factions in parliament would likely back Zurfi.
