Iraq's president has tasked businessman Ali al-Zaidi with forming a government after he was nominated as prime minister by the country's dominant parliamentary bloc. Zaidi, a political newcomer and outsider who has never held a government post, was named prime minister-designate to break a months-long political deadlock.
The announcement came shortly after the Coordination Framework endorsed Zaidi as its candidate. He now has 30 days to form a government, a daunting task in a country where constitutional deadlines are rarely respected.
The nomination follows months of tensions and pressure from both the United States and Iran. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki ended his bid to reclaim the role after pressure from the U.S., which was concerned by his close links to Iran.