Iraqi president to resign as pressure mounts

By Haydar Goklap

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraqi President Barham Salih said Thursday he is ready to resign before the parliament amid months-long protests that have gripped the country.

According to a well-informed source in the Iraqi parliament who spoke on condition of anonymity: "Salih will resign if there is further pressure."

Salih's announcement comes amid ongoing political deadlock and his inability to designate a prime minister.

"The president says he prefers to resign rather than appoint a candidate the protesters refuse to accept," the source added.

A group of activists on Thursday rejected prime ministerial candidate Asaad Al-Eidani saying he was responsible for killing protesters in Basra, where he is governor.

Outgoing Education Minister Qusay al-Suhail on Wednesday turned down his nomination for Iraq's new prime minister.

Iraq has been roiled by mass protests since early October over poor living conditions and corruption, forcing Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi to resign.

At least 496 people have been killed and 17,000 injured in the protests, according to Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights.