Former London-based exile set to become Iraqi premier

Interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen as his Shiite ticket’s candidate for Iraq’s next prime minister today, after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid.

Al-Jaafari, a former hospital doctor who lived in exile in London, was most likely to be approved by two-thirds of the newly elected 275 member National Assembly when the parliament convenes. A date for that has not been set.