State of Law’s Atwan Al-Atwani elected Baghdad governor after predecessor removed from office

BAGHDAD — The Baghdad Provincial Council on Sunday elected Atwan Al-Atwani as the new governor of the capital, ending weeks of tensions between rival political factions over control of the post.

Al-Atwani, a senior member of the State of Law Coalition and current chair of the parliamentary finance committee, previously served as governor in 2018. He was elected in a session that pitted him against Dhurgham Thamer Al-Fayyadh, a council member backed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s Development and Reconstruction Alliance.

Council members ultimately selected Al-Atwani in what officials described as a compromise aimed at easing friction between the camps aligned with State of Law leader Nouri Al-Maliki and Al-Sudani.

“We congratulate the new Baghdad Governor Atwan Al-Atwani and the members of the provincial council for this step, which reflects successful political understanding, mutual trust, and a preference for partnership over confrontation,” Yasser Al-Maliki, head of the State of Law bloc in parliament, said in a social media post. “A new beginning we hope translates into real services for the honorable people of Baghdad.”

Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency after his election, Al-Atwani said he would prioritize both immediate and long-term service delivery across the capital. “We have an immediate and strategic plan to improve the service situation in the capital,” he said. “We will take to the streets to monitor projects and assess Baghdad’s needs.”

His appointment came one day after President Abdul Latif Rashid approved the retirement of outgoing governor Abdulmutalib Al-Alawi, who had already been removed by the council in a vote on July 20. Al-Alawi, however, said he planned to challenge the dismissal, calling it legally and procedurally invalid.

“The Baghdad Provincial Council issued a decision to refer me to retirement during an emergency session, even though the matter was not on the session’s agenda and no vote was held to add it,” he said. “Therefore, the decision lacks procedural and legal legitimacy.”

Al-Alawi, a longtime member of the State of Law Coalition and former adviser to the prime minister, was unanimously elected governor in February 2024. His removal had intensified tensions between the State of Law and Taqaddum blocs, though both sides reaffirmed their alliance earlier this month after a previous failed attempt to unseat him.