Shafaq News- Baghdad

State of Law Coalition leader Nouri Al-Maliki and caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who heads the Reconstruction and Development (Al-Ima'ar wal-Tanmiya) Coalition, have agreed to nominate Ali Al-Zaidi as a compromise candidate for premiership, political sources told Shafaq News on Monday.

Al-Zaidi maintains broad ties within the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest bloc with around 162 of parliament’s 329 seats, as well as links to the private office of Iraq’s Patriotic Shiite Movement leader Muqtada Al-Sadr. “Al-Zaidi may face challenges in forming a government and securing parliamentary approval after being tasked,” the sources stated.

The nomination followed two meetings over the past 24 hours hosted by Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Chairman Faleh Al-Fayyad, who brought together Al-Sudani and Al-Maliki.

Al-Zaidi, from Dhi Qar province, previously chaired Al-Janoob Islamic Bank and currently heads the National Holding Group (Al Watania Holding) and Al-Shaab University, in addition to owning Dijlah TV.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing arrangement, the presidency goes to a Kurd, the premiership to a Shiite, and the speakership to a Sunni Arab. The Framework failed to present a candidate within the constitutional deadline, which expired on April 26, following the election of Nizar Amedi as president on April 11, after which any designated nominee would have 30 days to form a government and secure parliamentary confidence under Article 76 of the constitution.

Read more: Coordination Framework: Can govern Iraq, but cannot agree on a PM