->RoundSquare at 19:14, 22 July 2021

2021-07-22T19:14:34Z

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{{Short description|Iraqi politician}}
[[File:Iraqi Speaker.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hajim al-Hassani]]
'''Hajim Mahdi Saleh al-Hassani''' ({{lang-ar|حاجم مهدي صالح الحسني}}; born 1954 in [[Kirkuk]]) to a prominent family is an [[Iraq]]i politician and was the speaker of the [[Iraqi National Assembly]] under the [[Iraqi Transitional Government]]. A moderate [[Sunni]] Arab and relative outsider, having spent much of his life in the [[United States]], al-Hassani was tapped as a compromise candidate for the speaker's post after weeks of deadlock between Iraqi political parties. al-Hassani had previously been a member of the [[Iraqi Islamic Party]] in exile and was Industry Minister under the [[Iraqi Interim Government|interim government]] of [[Iyad Allawi]].

Born in [[Kirkuk]], Hassani attended [[Mosul University]] and relocated to the United States in 1979. He studied at the [[University of Nebraska]] and earned a Ph.D. degree from the [[University of Connecticut]] and then spent 12 years a CEO for an investment and trading company in [[Los Angeles]]. While in the U.S., he was involved in the opposition to the [[Saddam Hussein]] regime in exile, and was actively involved with the [[Iraqi Islamic Party]] (IIP).

Hassani returned to Iraq following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|U.S. invasion]] in 2003 and worked with the Interim [[Iraqi Governing Council]] appointed during the period of the [[Coalition Provisional Authority]]. As the IIP wielded influence in the dangerous [[Al Anbar Governorate|Anbar]] province, Hassani was involved in negotiating a temporary truce with [[Fallujah]]-based insurgents in 2004 and successfully stopped an imminent attack on the city.

Under the [[Iraqi Interim Government]] of [[Iyad Allawi]], formed in 2004, Hassani was named industry minister in the new administration. He left the party when the IIP withdrew from the government, retaining his ministry post.

He joined the [[Iraqis]] coalition of Interim President [[Ghazi al-Yawer]] for the [[January 2005 Iraqi legislative election|election]] in January 2005. After the election the post of speaker was reportedly reserved for a Sunni Arab, and al-Hassani, one of only two candidates deemed acceptable to the range of parties, was offered the post.

He was elected to the [[Council of Representatives of Iraq]] in the [[Iraqi legislative election of December 2005]] as part of the [[Iraqi National List]] coalition led by [[Iyad Allawi]]. He resigned from that coalition in September 2007, claiming Allawi was high-handed and lacking in vision.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/19/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-Politics.php Two lawmakers withdraw from the block headed by former premier Allawi], ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'', 2007-09-19, accessed on 2007-09-21</ref> Later he formed [[Nationalist List]] and participated in the provincial election. He is considered by Iraqis as one of the moderate and liberal politician in Iraq after Saddam's regime and widely respected by most of politicians in Iraq.

== References ==

<references/>
* {{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3766401.stm|author=BBC News|title=Interim Iraqi government|accessdate=2006-02-24 | date=2004-06-01}}
* {{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/04/content_2783745.htm|author=Xinhua|date=2005-04-04|title=Profile: Hachim al-Hasani, speaker of Iraq's new parliament|accessdate=2006-05-30}}

== External links ==
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4405643.stm BBC Profile]

{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
title=Minister of Industry|
before=[[Mohammad Tufik Rahim]]|
years= June 2004–May 2005|
after=[[Usama al-Najafi]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassani, Hajim}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Iraq]]
[[Category:Speakers of the Council of Representatives of Iraq]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Kirkuk]]
[[Category:Iraqi Islamic Party politicians]]
[[Category:University of Mosul alumni]]

Hajim al-Hassani - Revision history

->RoundSquare at 19:14, 22 July 2021