Jawad al-Maliki has been nominated to be Iraq's prime minister, replacing the incumbent, Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
According to the Associated Press, Al-Maliki is a top ally of al-Jaafari:
Al-Maliki is one of the top figures in al-Jaafari's Dawa party and has often appeared as his spokesman. Still, little is known about him since he fled Iraq in the 1980s, settling in Syria and working in Dawa's political office. He returned to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
The nomination is to be presented to a session of parliament on Saturday.
If Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties accept al-Maliki the Iraqis can form a new government and hopefully quell the sectarian violence.
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