A top Iranian official has voiced Tehran’s support for the democratic process in Iraq, saying the Islamic Republic backs any decision by the Iraqi people on running their country.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran backs whatever is decided by the Iraqi people and whatever is ratified by the country’s parliament,” Ali Akbar Velayati, who is the president of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council, told reporters on Tuesday.
Velayati said that appointing a president, parliament speaker and prime minister all rested with the Iraqi people as they chose their representatives in the parliament who formed the government.
He also expressed hope that the democratic process would continue in the Arab country.
On Monday, Iraq’s new President Fouad Massoum named the deputy parliament speaker Haider al-Abadi as Iraq’s new premier-designate to form the new government. Abadi was nominated for the post by the Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition of Shia parties.
Abadi has 30 days to form the next government and present it to parliament for approval.
The members of parliament are tasked with naming a new unity government. After choosing the parliament speaker, the lawmakers will have to pick the Iraqi president as well as the prime minister.
Under a de facto agreement among communities in Iraq, the prime minister is a Shia Arab, the president a Kurd, and the parliament speaker a Sunni Arab.
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