How Haider al-Abadi became Iraq's next prime minister
Iranian officials helped lay the groundwork for the appointment of Iraq's new prime minister-designate.
![IRAQ-POLITICS-SPEAKER Iraqi newly elected parliament speaker Salim al-Juburi (C) stands between his deputies Haidar Al Abadi (L) and Aram Sheikh Mohamad (R) in Baghdad on July 15, 2014. Iraq's fractious parliament elected a speaker after two failed sittings, with al-Juburi winning comfortably according to a tally announced live on state television. The much-delayed election kickstarts a political process which should also see lawmakers agree on a federal president, who then designates the largest bloc, the candidate of which has](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2014/08/HaidarAlAbadi.jpg/HaidarAlAbadi.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=ExPg7Nei)
The 48 hours preceding the Aug. 11 appointment of Haider al-Abadi as Iraq’s prime minister-designate were decisive. Efforts to convince a defiant Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to resign were at their peak, even if they passed in vain.
Maliki wasn’t ready to accept any compromise or other points of view. He was aware a substitute had been chosen, yet he wanted to fight until the last possible moment. He believed that each vote he had gained in the election deserved its own battle. Maliki was desperate to keep his reign alive, while his friends and foes struggled to make him quit.