Adnan Pachachi

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Adnan Pachachi

Adnan Pachachi (Arabic: عدنان الباجه جي) (born on May 14, 1923 in Baghdad), is an Iraqi politician.

Pachachi, the son of Muzahim al-Pachachi, is the scion of a Sunni Arab family with a long tradition in Iraqi politics and a graduate from Victoria College, Alexandria in Egypt. He was Iraq's permanent representative to the United Nations in 1959-65 and 1967-68, and as foreign minister during the regime of presidents Abdul Salam Arif and Abdul Rahman Arif in 1965-67.

He spent most of the years of Baathist rule in exile in Abu Dhabi after leaving Iraq in 1971. While in the United Arab Emirates, he acted as advisor to the Emir, and even publicly kissed his hand in a traditional act of deference. This was an unpopular move with many Iraqis who have often denounced the Persian Gulf monarchies as illegitimate and reactionary.

Although he had opposed the invasion of Iraq, Pachachi was appointed to the Iraqi Governing Council and held its presidency in a particularly bad month, January 2004. Critics claim this experience showed an inability to unite or lead the country. He also chaired the committee responsible for drafting the Transitional Administrative Law, Iraq's interim constitution. When Pachachi came to Baghdad to take up these positions, he was accompanied by his daughter Maysoon, who made a documentary (titled Return to the Land of Wonders) in which her father figures prominently.

On June 1, 2004, he was reportedly nominated to be the next president of Iraq. He seems, however, to lack a reasonable support base, stated that someone who engenders less opposition was needed.

A liberal secularist, Pachachi put together a list of candidates called the Assembly of Independent Democrats to contest Iraq's January 2005 legislative election. However, his party failed to win any seats in the assembly with only around 12,000 votes. For the December 2005 elections, he was elected as a member of the list headed by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Following Arab political tradition, Pachachi opened the first session of the Iraqi National Assembly in April 2005, as the oldest member elected.