Adnan Zurfi, Iraq's second premier-designate this year, is respected for focussing on public services and security but faces resistance from factions wary of his close ties with the United States.
The 54-year-old lawmaker is the ex-governor of the Shiite Muslim shrine city of Najaf, has advanced degrees in religious studies and was a long-time member of the Dawa Party which opposed ex-dictator Saddam Hussein.
After a failed 1991 uprising against Saddam, Zurfi fled to
Saudi Arabia and then on to the
United States, returning to
Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003.