The Iraqi Prime Minister designate, Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, on Sunday announced in a video his resignation from the office after failing to secure the support of parliament for his government.
Allawi apologized for his failure to form a government in an official letter to Iraqi President Barham Salih, following the vote in parliament.
The official said that several political parties were not serious about reform, by their use of smear campaigns and a subsequent lack of a quorum in parliament.
"I anticipated the equation - the post of prime minister, in return for a lack of honesty with my people and continuing this position at the expense of their suffering. The choice was simple and clear: I must remain with my to be with my patient people, especially when I saw that some political parties are not serious about reform and keeping their promises to the people, and have instead put obstacles in the way of the birth of an independent government that works for the country," Allawi tweeted.
The Iraqi president has reportedly accepted the prime minister-designate’s apology and announced that consultations had begun to choose a replacement.
On Sunday, the parliament in an extraordinary session failed for the second time to achieve a vote of confidence for a Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi government amid continuing political unrest in the country.
Parliament had been scheduled to vote on the Allawi government on Saturday, but the session was postponed due to a lack of a quorum.
in October 2019, Iraq witnessed nationwide protests demanding the government's resignation as well as seeking reforms to improve the quality of life in the country. During the demonstrations, the biggest since the ouster of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, over 600 protesters were killed, according to official estimates.