Adil Abdul-Mahdi

Adil Abdul-Mahdi al-Muntafiki (Arabic: ‫ﻋﺎدل ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻤﻬﺪي اﻟﻤﻨﺘﻔﻜﻲ‬, born 1

January 1942) is an Iraqi politician who served as Prime Minister of Iraq from
Adil Abdul-Mahdi
October 2018 to December 2019. Abdul-Mahdi is an economist and was one of
‫ﻋﺎدل ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻤﻬﺪي‬
the vice presidents of Iraq from 2005 to 2011. He formerly served as finance
minister in the Interim government and Oil Minister from 2014 to 2016.[4]

Abdul-Mahdi is a former member of the powerful Shi'a party the Supreme

Islamic Iraqi Council, or SIIC.[1] Long based in neighboring Iran, the group
opposed a United States administration while holding close ties with the other,
U.S.-backed, groups that opposed Saddam Hussein, including the Kurds and the
Iraqi National Congress.

Contents
Background
Political career
49th Prime Minister of Iraq

Resignation
In office
25 October 2018 – present
References
External links
President Barham Salih
Deputy Thamir Ghadhban
Fuad Hussein
Background Preceded by Haider al-Abadi
Mahdi was born in Baghdad in 1942, the son of a Shiite cleric who was a Minister of Oil
minister in Iraq's monarchy. He attended high school at Baghdad College, an In office
elite American Jesuit secondary school. After graduating, he attended Baghdad 8 September 2014 – 19 July 2016
University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1963. He Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
worked as a secretary for the Iraqi foreign ministry in 1965 and was an early
Preceded by Abdul Karim Luaibi
supporter of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party, but left due to ideological disagreements. In
Succeeded by Jabbar Alluaibi
1969, he moved to France where he worked for French think tanks and edited
magazines in French and Arabic. In 1972 he obtained another Master of Arts Vice President of Iraq
degree in political economy from the University of Poitiers. He later obtained a In office
PhD in economics.[5] 7 April 2005 – 11 July 2011
President Jalal Talabani

Political career Preceded by Rowsch Shaways

Succeeded by Tariq al-Hashimi
In the 1970s, Abdul-Mahdi was a leading member of the Iraqi Communist
Party.[6] The party split into two separate factions, the ICP-Central Committee, Minister of Finance
which was more accommodating of the military governments that had ruled Iraq In office
since 1958, and the ICP-Central Leadership, which rejected all forms of 2 June 2004 – 6 April 2005
cooperation of what it regarded as anti-progressive regimes, in 1967. Abdul- Prime Minister Ayad Allawi
Mahdi joined the ICP-Central Leadership, and continued being active until it
gradually disappeared by the early 1980s. By that time, Abdul-Mahdi adopted Preceded by Kamel al-Kilani
Iranian Islamic ideas, eventually merging with the Islamists when Ayatollah Succeeded by Ali Allawi
Khomeini eradicated the communists and other liberal opposition groups in Iran.
Personal details
Abdul-Mahdi continued his association with Iran and gradually amalgamated his
group within the ICP-Central Leadership with the Iranians, rejecting his Marxist Born Adil Abdul-Mahdi
past and devoting all his group's time to propagating Khomeini's ideas in France, al-Muntafiki
where he lived at the time. He eventually was made a member of the Supreme 1 January 1942
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, an exiled opposition party and militia Baghdad, Iraq
that was formed by Iran in Tehran in 1982 but composed exclusively of Iraqi Political party Independent (since
exiles.[7] 2017)[1]
SIIC (1982–
In 2006, Abdul-Mahdi, outgoing Vice President in the transitional government,
2017)[2]
unsuccessfully ran for the United Iraqi Alliance's nomination for Prime Minister
Iraqi Communist
against incumbent Ibrahim al-Jaafari. He lost by one vote. He was reportedly
(1970s)[3]
considered to be a possibility for Prime Minister once again until Nouri al-
Spouse(s) Rajah
Maliki became the UIA nominee. Subsequently, Abdul-Mahdi was re-elected as
Vice President of Iraq. He exerted his limited authority in that role by delaying Alma mater University of
the first meeting of the National Assembly in March. He resigned from his Baghdad (BA)
position as vice-president on 31 May 2011.[8] University of
Poitiers (MA, PhD)
In December 2006, the Associated Press reported that Abdul-Mahdi could be the
next Prime Minister of Iraq if a new multi-sectarian coalition succeeded in toppling the government of Nouri al-Maliki.[9]

On 26 February 2007, he survived an assassination attempt that killed ten people. He had been targeted two times prior.[10]

In 2009, his bodyguards were the perpetrators of a bloody bank robbery in Baghdad.[11]

In July 2013, Abdul-Mahdi announced his decision to give up his retirement pensions as a former vice president.[12]

On 2 October 2018, Iraqi president Barham Salih selected Abdul-Mahdi to be the Prime Minister of Iraq. Mahdi had 30 days to
form a new government.[1] On 25 October 2018, Abdul Mahdi was sworn into office, five months after the 2018 elections.[13]

In April 2019, Abdul-Mahdi met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. He announced a $14 billion plan to upgrade
Iraq's electricity infrastructure, with likely cooperation with German company Siemens. Merkel also pledged to strengthen
economic and security cooperation between the two countries, and to continue German support for reconstruction efforts in
Iraq.[14]

Resignation
On 29 November, after weeks of violent protests, Mahdi announced that he would resign his post.[15][16] The Iraqi parliament
approved his resignation on 1 December 2019. However, he will continue on in a caretaker role until parliament approves a full-
time replacement.[17][18]

References
1. Salaheddin, Sinah (3 October 2018). "Iraq tasks Shiite independent with forming new government" (https://web.ar
chive.org/web/20181004230012/https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/Iraq-delays-vote-on-president-du
e-to-dispute-13274903.php). Associated Press. Archived from the original (https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/wor
ld/article/Iraq-delays-vote-on-president-due-to-dispute-13274903.php) on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October
2018.
 2. "‫( "ﻋﺎدل ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻤﻬﺪي‬http://www.aljazeera.net/specialfiles/pages/57626ed8-89fd-41ae-b292-58590c6748dd). Al
Jazeera.
3. Doug Struck (14 February 2015). "Prospective Iraqi Premier a Man of Many Labels" (https://www.washingtonpos
t.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21745-2005Feb13.html). Washington Post. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
4. "Iraqi prime minister accepts another minister's resignation" (http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/21/476233/Ir
aq-prime-minister-Abadi-resignation-minister-Hussein-Sharistani-reforms-corruption). Press TV.
5. Adil Adbul Mahdi Iraq’s New Prime Minister (https://eng.majalla.com/node/47586/adil-adbul-mahdi-iraq%E2%8
0%99s-new-prime-minister).
6. "Abdul-Mahdi: The man tasked with forming Iraq's new government" (http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/ira
q/03102018). Rudaw. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
7. Ismail, Tariq (2008). The Rise and Fall of the Communist Party of Iraq. Cambridge University Press. p. 239.
ISBN 978-0-521-87394-9.
8. [1] (http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/168077/‫داد‬-‫اﺳﺘﻌﻔﺎ‬-‫ﻋﺮاق‬-‫ﺟﻤﻬﻮر‬-‫رﺋﯿﺲ‬-‫اول‬-‫)ﻣﻌﺎون‬
9. Hamza Hendawi; Qassim Abdul Zahra (10 December 2006). "Talks Under Way to Replace Iraq PM" (https://www.
washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/10/AR2006121000633.html). The Washington Post.
Baghdad. AP. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
10. Sly, Liz (27 February 2007). "VP survives assassination try in Iraq" (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-02-2
7/news/0702270273_1_bomb-baghdad-ministry-sciri). Chicago Tribune. Baghdad. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
11. Rod Nordland; Riyadh Mohammed (2 September 2009). "In Bank Killings, Highs and Lows of Iraq Justice" (http
s://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/world/middleeast/03iraq.html?pagewanted=all). The New York Times.
Retrieved 4 October 2018.
12. Hussein, Ahmed (30 July 2013). "Adil Abdul Mahdi gives up his pensions" (https://www.iraqinews.com/baghdad-p
olitics/adil-abdul-mahdi-gives-up-his-pensions/). Iraqi News. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
13. "Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi sworn in with 14 ministers, so far" (http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/241
02018). Rudaw.
14. Şimşek, Ayhan (30 April 2019). "Merkel: Germany supports territorial integrity of Iraq" (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/e
urope/merkel-germany-supports-territorial-integrity-of-iraq/1466466#). Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
15. Iraqi PM says he will resign after weeks of violent protests (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/29/iraq-
pm-resign-protests-abdul-mahdi-al-sistani) - Guardian(29 November 2019)
16. Iraq unrest: PM Abdul Mahdi to resign after bloodiest day in protests (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-ea
st-50600495?fbclid=IwAR3sWVwYMXrwvgxsCqux1VOI2yUd9PeY8nc1BJBlM3DJ8uSJ6XWnvEQRlu8) - BBC(29
December 2019)
17. Ibrahim, Arwa (1 December 2019). "Uncertainty remains as Iraq parliament accepts PM's resignation" (https://ww
w.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/iraq-pm-offer-quit-country-191201092331173.html). Al Jazeera. Retrieved
1 December 2019.
18. Gathright, Jenny (1 December 2019). "Iraqi Parliament Accepts PM Adel Abdul-Mahdi Resignation, But
Protesters Demand More" (https://www.npr.org/2019/12/01/783960949/iraqi-parliament-accepts-pm-adel-abdul-m
ahdi-resignation-but-protesters-demand-m). NPR.

External links
Official Website (https://web.archive.org/web/20140707082054/http://www.adilabdalmahdi.com/index.php)
 Political offices
Preceded by
Finance Minister of Iraq Succeeded by
Coalition Provisional
2004–2005 Ali Allawi
Authority
Preceded by Vice President of Iraq
Succeeded by
Ibrahim Jaafari and Served alongside Ghazi al-Yawer, Tariq
Tariq al-Hashimi and
Rowsch Shaways al-Hashimi and Khodair al-Khozaei
Khodair al-Khozaei
Interim 2005–2011
Preceded by Energy Minister of Iraq Succeeded by
Abdul Karim Luaibi 2014–2016 Jabbar al-Luaibi
Preceded by Prime Minister of Iraq Succeeded by
Haider al-Abadi 2018–present Incumbent

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