Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who refuses to leave office, has been replaced by President Fouad Massoum, who appointed a rival candidate to form a new government.

Reports said that Maliki has been abandoned by his party allies and other supporters who believe he is no longer capable of saving the collapsing state.

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President Fouad Massoum officially announced Haider al-Abadi as the new prime minister who will take Maliki's place. The appointment happened after the Iraq’s largest coalition of Shia political parties nominated al-Abadi.

While the Iraq's government troops persisted in fighting with the Sunni militants in the country's north and west together with the American airstrikes, the political crises intensified when Maliki refused to step down from his position.

In Maliki’s televised speech, he accused Massoum of violating Iraq's constitution. Reports said he would file a legal complaint against the new president for not naming a prime minister from his State of Law alliance which dominated most of the seats in the recent April election.

Although Maliki’s coalition won many votes, the parliament opposes to give him another term. Due to the latest crisis, Maliki’s closest allies also called for his resignation.

According to some reports, al-Maliki had been convinced to step aside to allow an alternate candidate from his National Alliance bloc to be chosen by the president.

President Massoum gave a deadline on Monday to pick a new candidate for the bloc or else he would name al-Malike to a third term.

Al- Maliki said on his Iraqi TV appearance that the security situation in Iraq will only worsen because of Massoum’s actions. The president's deliberate violation of Iraq's constitution will have severe consequences on the country's unity, sovereignty, and independence, Maliki added.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Iraq needs a prime minister and the security forces need to be revamped. Some critics said Maliki contributed to the crisis by controlling the power and pursuing a sectarian scheme that divided the Sunni and Kurdish minorities.

If PM Maliki militarily resists the call of the Shia community to quit, it could have devastating effects on the country.

TagsMaliki, Prime Minister, Iraq