Businessman Ali Al Zaidi’s controversial path to Iraqi PM nomination | The National
Iraq's Shiite political factions, stuck in a deadlock, nominated a 41-year-old billionaire businessman, Ali Al Zaidi, as compromise prime minister candidate. He has no political background but a massive business empire built on government contracts, including supplying food to millions via the state's ration program. His firm was chairman of a bank banned from US dollar transactions over fraud concerns, linking him to the corruption-plagued banking sector. Critics say his rise shows power comes from connections, not votes, in Iraq's post-2003 system. The US hasn't commented yet; he'll have to tackle a battered economy, corruption, and strained Gulf relations.
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