Iraq’s new president, Abdel Latif Rashid, on Thursday tasked Mohamed Chia al-Sudani, a former minister and two-time member of parliament, with forming a government to break the country’s political deadlock, AFP reported.

Asked by reporters in parliament, Sudani said he hoped to form his team “as soon as possible”.

“We welcome brother Mohamed Chia al-Sudani,” retired Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazimi wrote on Twitter.

Al-Sadr’s departure from political life in the summer threw Iraq into chaos

Although he has never been directly in government, al-Sadr remains one of Iraq’s most powerful political figures and has a large following.

He announced his retirement from politics on Monday, exacerbating an already tense situation that has left the country without a government for 10 months.

His resignation came two days after he said “all parties, including his own, should give up government posts to help resolve the political crisis”.

In response to al-Sadr’s statement, his supporters stormed the government palace in Baghdad’s green zone.

As a result of clashes with rival Shiite groups, at least 30 people were killed and another 700 were injured.