Iraq PM Abadi says not seeking re-election
Tehran (KNA) - As Iraq moves closer to forming a new government, the incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says he is not seeking to serve a second term in office.
"We respect and obey the instructions of the religious authority Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. I did not and will not request the post of prime minister in the second term," he said at a news conference in Baghdad on Thursday.
Sistani, the country's most senior Shia cleric, had said earlier in the week that he would not support either Abadi or his predecessor Nouri al-Maliki for the post.
The prime minister also urged that the process of government formation would take place amid calm.
"Our service for the [Iraqi] people will continue until the new government is established. We will give everyone a lesson on how to make a governmental change in peaceful ways," he noted.
Abadi urged political factions to close up their rifts in order to prevent them from being abused by terrorists.
"Terrorism is waiting for sharp political disputes so it can hit. Until now, we're still controlling the security situation and our intelligence is breaking through the terrorists and preventing them from committing any acts," he said. "But I'm calling upon the political parties to control their political disputes and not allow them to extend to the streets," Abadi added.
Source: PressTV