MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti) - Iraq’s Nouri Maliki on Thursday announced his resignation from the post of Prime Minister and supported his nominated replacement in the post, Haider Abadi, according to Reuters.
Maliki made the announcement in a speech on state television.
On Monday, Iraqi President Fuad Masum nominated Abadi to form the next government and has given him 30 days to do so. Maliki initially refused to step aside saying that such a move violated the constitution.
Abadi was endorsed by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, the League of Arab States, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Maliki has been facing pressure to step aside for a new leader who would be capable of countering Islamic State militants – the biggest security threat in the country.
