Iraq's bitterly divided parliament postponed a vote of confidence in prime minister-designate Mohammad Allawi's government for a second time Saturday, as political wrangling continued ahead of a looming deadline.

Parliament speaker Mohammed Halbusi said that the crunch vote, which had already been delayed last week for lack of a quorum, would now be held on Sunday.

Midnight (2100 GMT) Sunday is the deadline for lawmakers to end a protracted political vacuum and agree on a new government or see President Barham Saleh designate a premier unilaterally.

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Failure to go ahead with the vote could also trigger a call for mass protests from populist cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose supporters form the largest bloc in parliament and who has demanded that lawmakers approve Allawi's government.

Iraq's current parliament is the most divided in its recent history and Allawi is struggling to secure support from the country's Sunni Arab and Kurdish minorities.

Kurds and Sunnis are also opposed to a non-binding vote passed by parties representing the Shiite majority for the immediate departure of the 5,200 US troops stationed in Iraq.

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Iraq has been without a government since Allawi's predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi quit under pressure from the street two months ago.

Protests have gripped Baghdad and the mainly Shiite south since October, demanding a government of technocrats not beholden to party political or foreign interests to tackle rampant corruption and a failing economy.

Demonstrators have already rejected the choice of Allawi for premier, saying he is too close to the confessional political system they have rallied against for months.

Iraq's bitterly divided parliament postponed a vote of confidence in prime minister-designate Mohammad Allawi's government for a second time Saturday, as political wrangling continued ahead of a looming deadline.

Iraq's bitterly divided parliament postponed a vote of confidence in prime minister-designate Mohammad Allawi's government for a second time Saturday, as political wrangling continued ahead of a looming deadline. Parliament speaker Mohammed Halbusi said that the crunch vote, which had already been delayed last week for lack of a quorum, would now be held on Sunday. Midnight (2100 GMT) Sunday is the deadline for lawmakers to end a protracted political vacuum and agree on a new government or see President Barham Saleh designate a premier unilaterally. Also read: Iraq's holy mosque disinfected as sixth virus case reported Failure to go ahead with the vote could also trigger a call for mass protests from populist cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose supporters form the largest bloc in parliament and who has demanded that lawmakers approve Allawi's government. Iraq's current parliament is the most divided in its recent history and Allawi is struggling to secure support from the country's Sunni Arab and Kurdish minorities. Kurds and Sunnis are also opposed to a non-binding vote passed by parties representing the Shiite majority for the immediate departure of the 5,200 US troops stationed in Iraq. Also see: Julian Assange's UK extradition hearing paused until May Iraq has been without a government since Allawi's predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi quit under pressure from the street two months ago. Protests have gripped Baghdad and the mainly Shiite south since October, demanding a government of technocrats not beholden to party political or foreign interests to tackle rampant corruption and a failing economy. Demonstrators have already rejected the choice of Allawi for premier, saying he is too close to the confessional political system they have rallied against for months.

Iraq parliament postpones confidence vote as deadline looms

Hundreds of Iraqis rallied Sunday to support a protest leader they want as prime minister instead of current premier-designate Mohammad Allawi, who they see as too close to the ruling class.

Appointed on February 1, Allawi has pledged to announce his cabinet lineup within the week even as he faces ongoing protests against his nomination -- and a new contender.

In the shrine city of Karbala, dozens of students took to the streets carrying photos of Alaa al-Rikaby, a pharmacist who has emerged as a prominent activist in the protest hotspot of Nasiriyah, further south.&nbsp;

"We're here to show our support for Alaa al-Rikaby, the candidate of the people!" said Seif al-Hasnawy, a 20-year-old student.

Rikaby, who has a round face and closely-trimmed beard, began demonstrating in early October alongside others fed up with rampant corruption, lack of jobs and poor public services.

He has since risen to local fame with a series of videos posted on Twitter to his tens of thousands of followers, discussing politics and a path forward for the otherwise leaderless anti-government movement.

In one video last week, he asked protesters who gather at squares across the country to show whether they would back him for the post of prime minister, in a novel approach for a political nomination in Iraq.&nbsp;

"If the people decide so, I'd accept," he said in his latest video on Thursday.

"This post has no value as such for me. I don't see it as a prize, but rather as a huge responsibility," said Rikaby, who has a tent pitched in central Nasiriyah targeted in a recent stun grenade attack.

In Karbala, university student Hassan Qazwini told AFP: "We protesters have numerous demands, and one of them is an independent prime minister without ties to parties -- like Alaa al-Rikaby."

Before Rikaby, Faeq al-Sheikh Ali, a liberal critic of the ruling class, also declared himself a candidate but has not received mass public or political backing.&nbsp;

Allawi was nominated on February 1 as a consensus candidate among Iraq's fractured political parties but has only been publicly endorsed by cleric Moqtada Sadr, who has a cult-like following across the country.

Since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, cabinets have been formed through a sectarian power-sharing system, leading to widespread horsetrading among various sects and parties.

Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions are likely to hold on tight to their shares of posts in the outgoing cabinet and aim to carry them over into the next lineup.

Allawi has until March 2 to form a government and Iraqi officials have quietly expressed scepticism that he would be able to complete it in time.

But in a surprising tweet on Saturday, Allawi said he would be ready to submit a cabinet to parliament within the week for a vote of confidence.&nbsp;

Parliament is officially in recess until mid-March and the house speaker, Mohammed Halbusi, has not yet scheduled an extraordinary session.&nbsp;

Hundreds of Iraqis rallied Sunday to support a protest leader they want as prime minister instead of current premier-designate Mohammad Allawi, who they see as too close to the ruling class.

Hundreds of Iraqis rallied Sunday to support a protest leader they want as prime minister instead of current premier-designate Mohammad Allawi, who they see as too close to the ruling class. Appointed on February 1, Allawi has pledged to announce his cabinet lineup within the week even as he faces ongoing protests against his nomination -- and a new contender. In the shrine city of Karbala, dozens of students took to the streets carrying photos of Alaa al-Rikaby, a pharmacist who has emerged as a prominent activist in the protest hotspot of Nasiriyah, further south. "We're here to show our support for Alaa al-Rikaby, the candidate of the people!" said Seif al-Hasnawy, a 20-year-old student. Rikaby, who has a round face and closely-trimmed beard, began demonstrating in early October alongside others fed up with rampant corruption, lack of jobs and poor public services. He has since risen to local fame with a series of videos posted on Twitter to his tens of thousands of followers, discussing politics and a path forward for the otherwise leaderless anti-government movement. In one video last week, he asked protesters who gather at squares across the country to show whether they would back him for the post of prime minister, in a novel approach for a political nomination in Iraq. "If the people decide so, I'd accept," he said in his latest video on Thursday. "This post has no value as such for me. I don't see it as a prize, but rather as a huge responsibility," said Rikaby, who has a tent pitched in central Nasiriyah targeted in a recent stun grenade attack. In Karbala, university student Hassan Qazwini told AFP: "We protesters have numerous demands, and one of them is an independent prime minister without ties to parties -- like Alaa al-Rikaby." Before Rikaby, Faeq al-Sheikh Ali, a liberal critic of the ruling class, also declared himself a candidate but has not received mass public or political backing. Allawi was nominated on February 1 as a consensus candidate among Iraq's fractured political parties but has only been publicly endorsed by cleric Moqtada Sadr, who has a cult-like following across the country. Since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, cabinets have been formed through a sectarian power-sharing system, leading to widespread horsetrading among various sects and parties. Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish factions are likely to hold on tight to their shares of posts in the outgoing cabinet and aim to carry them over into the next lineup. Allawi has until March 2 to form a government and Iraqi officials have quietly expressed scepticism that he would be able to complete it in time. But in a surprising tweet on Saturday, Allawi said he would be ready to submit a cabinet to parliament within the week for a vote of confidence. Parliament is officially in recess until mid-March and the house speaker, Mohammed Halbusi, has not yet scheduled an extraordinary session.

Iraq protesters rally for one of their own to become PM

Iraq's president named former communications minister Mohammad Allawi as the country's new prime minister on Saturday after an 11th-hour consensus among political blocs, but the streets seemed divided on his nomination.

Baghdad and the mainly Shiite south have been gripped by four months of anti-government rallies demanding snap elections, a politically independent prime minister and accountability for corruption and protest-related violence.

Faced with pressure from the street and the Shiite religious leadership, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi resigned in December and political life came to a standstill.

In a bid to end the paralysis, President Barham Saleh gave political blocs until Saturday to name a replacement to Abdel Mahdi or else he would appoint his own candidate.&nbsp;

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On Saturday evening, Allawi posted a video to Twitter saying Saleh had nominated him as the new premier.&nbsp;

"After the president appointed me to form a new government a short while ago, I wanted to talk to you first," he said, addressing the camera in colloquial Iraqi dialect.&nbsp;

"I will ask you to keep up the protests, because if you are not with me, I won't be able to do anything," Allawi said.

There was no formal announcement from Saleh or other government bodies, and the main protest camp in Tahrir Square seemed split on his nomination.&nbsp;

"Allawi is rejected, Allawi is rejected!" some protesters chanted, but others appeared to rally in support of him.

Allawi sets conditions

According to the constitution, Allawi now has one month to form his cabinet, which would need a vote of confidence from parliament.&nbsp;

In Iraq, the cabinet is typically formed by consensus among political rivals after intense horsetrading over influential posts.&nbsp;

"If the (political) blocs try to impose their candidates on me, I'll come out and talk to you and leave this nomination," Allawi said.&nbsp;

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Allawi served as communications minister twice under former PM Nuri al-Maliki but resigned both times, alleging corruption.&nbsp;

Shortly before Allawi's announcement, protesters in Tahrir expressed reservations about anyone with previous government experience assuming the premiership and frustration with the slow pace of reforms.

"Anyone who hasn't been involved in politics before is acceptable," said Abu Amir al-Rubaye, 50.&nbsp;

"But if Saleh does not find a way to form a government backed by the people, we'll hang his picture in Tahrir with an 'X' across it," he added.

Protests in Tahrir swelled on Saturday as supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr returned to the streets.&nbsp;

Sadr controls parliament's largest bloc and many ministerial posts, but he backed the protests when they erupted in October and his supporters were widely recognised as the best-organised demonstrators.&nbsp;

Sadrists in the streets

A week ago, he appeared to rethink his support for the protest movement and his hard-core backers dismantled their tents in protest camps across the country.

Within hours of the Sadrists withdrawing, riot police moved in to burn or tear down protest camps and around a dozen demonstrators were killed, medics and police said.

But on Friday he seemed to flip again, calling for his backers "to renew the peaceful, reformist revolution".

They flooded in the streets on Saturday afternoon, setting up tents in Tahrir with portraits of Sadr and blaring music praising him.

The violence dropped markedly, too.&nbsp;

"Since the Sadrists came back, we've implemented a sort of ceasefire and haven't fired tear gas at protesters," a member of the security forces told AFP near Tahrir Square, the main protest camp in the capital.

More than 480 people have died in protest-related violence since October, the great majority of them demonstrators killed by live rounds or military-grade tear gas canisters.

Protesters in Tahrir Square have already publicly rejected a number of names floated for prime minister, including former communications minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi and current intelligence chief Mustafa Kazemi.

Their portraits, marked with large "X"s over their faces, were hanging in the square along with a big blue poster calling for the United Nations to intervene in the crisis.

The top UN official in Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has pushed throughout the week for progress, tweeting on Friday that solutions were "urgently needed" to "break the political deadlock".

And the country's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani piled on the pressure on Friday, saying Iraq must "accelerate the formation of a new government".

"It is imperative to speed up holding early elections so that the people will have their say," he said.&nbsp;

Iraq's president named former communications minister Mohammad Allawi as the country's new prime minister on Saturday after an 11th-hour consensus among political blocs, but the streets seemed divided on his nomination.

Iraq's president named former communications minister Mohammad Allawi as the country's new prime minister on Saturday after an 11th-hour consensus among political blocs, but the streets seemed divided on his nomination. Baghdad and the mainly Shiite south have been gripped by four months of anti-government rallies demanding snap elections, a politically independent prime minister and accountability for corruption and protest-related violence. Faced with pressure from the street and the Shiite religious leadership, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi resigned in December and political life came to a standstill. In a bid to end the paralysis, President Barham Saleh gave political blocs until Saturday to name a replacement to Abdel Mahdi or else he would appoint his own candidate. Also read: Top Iraq cleric urges elections 'as soon as possible' On Saturday evening, Allawi posted a video to Twitter saying Saleh had nominated him as the new premier. "After the president appointed me to form a new government a short while ago, I wanted to talk to you first," he said, addressing the camera in colloquial Iraqi dialect. "I will ask you to keep up the protests, because if you are not with me, I won't be able to do anything," Allawi said. There was no formal announcement from Saleh or other government bodies, and the main protest camp in Tahrir Square seemed split on his nomination. "Allawi is rejected, Allawi is rejected!" some protesters chanted, but others appeared to rally in support of him. Allawi sets conditions According to the constitution, Allawi now has one month to form his cabinet, which would need a vote of confidence from parliament. In Iraq, the cabinet is typically formed by consensus among political rivals after intense horsetrading over influential posts. "If the (political) blocs try to impose their candidates on me, I'll come out and talk to you and leave this nomination," Allawi said. Also read: US stops weapons delivery to Iraq amid tensions with Baghdad Allawi served as communications minister twice under former PM Nuri al-Maliki but resigned both times, alleging corruption. Shortly before Allawi's announcement, protesters in Tahrir expressed reservations about anyone with previous government experience assuming the premiership and frustration with the slow pace of reforms. "Anyone who hasn't been involved in politics before is acceptable," said Abu Amir al-Rubaye, 50. "But if Saleh does not find a way to form a government backed by the people, we'll hang his picture in Tahrir with an 'X' across it," he added. Protests in Tahrir swelled on Saturday as supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr returned to the streets. Sadr controls parliament's largest bloc and many ministerial posts, but he backed the protests when they erupted in October and his supporters were widely recognised as the best-organised demonstrators. Sadrists in the streets A week ago, he appeared to rethink his support for the protest movement and his hard-core backers dismantled their tents in protest camps across the country. Within hours of the Sadrists withdrawing, riot police moved in to burn or tear down protest camps and around a dozen demonstrators were killed, medics and police said. But on Friday he seemed to flip again, calling for his backers "to renew the peaceful, reformist revolution". They flooded in the streets on Saturday afternoon, setting up tents in Tahrir with portraits of Sadr and blaring music praising him. The violence dropped markedly, too. "Since the Sadrists came back, we've implemented a sort of ceasefire and haven't fired tear gas at protesters," a member of the security forces told AFP near Tahrir Square, the main protest camp in the capital. More than 480 people have died in protest-related violence since October, the great majority of them demonstrators killed by live rounds or military-grade tear gas canisters. Protesters in Tahrir Square have already publicly rejected a number of names floated for prime minister, including former communications minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi and current intelligence chief Mustafa Kazemi. Their portraits, marked with large "X"s over their faces, were hanging in the square along with a big blue poster calling for the United Nations to intervene in the crisis. The top UN official in Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has pushed throughout the week for progress, tweeting on Friday that solutions were "urgently needed" to "break the political deadlock". And the country's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani piled on the pressure on Friday, saying Iraq must "accelerate the formation of a new government". "It is imperative to speed up holding early elections so that the people will have their say," he said.

Ex-minister Mohammad Allawi named as Iraq's new PM, protesters divided

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Iraq parliament postpones confidence vote as deadline looms

Iraq protesters rally for one of their own to become PM

Ex-minister Mohammad Allawi named as Iraq's new PM, protesters divided