Shafaq News/ The Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) would hold a meeting to resolve today to decide the final candidate for the prime minister.

The CF leader, Fadel Mawat, told Shafaq News Agency that the Framework now has two candidates, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Ali Shukri.

Today's meeting will quickly resolve this issue. He added.

Earlier, Iraq's National Security Advisor Qasem al-Araji withdrew from the race to replace the caretaker prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, saying he was making a "sacrifice for the homeland."

Al-Araji, a leading figure in the Badr Organization headed by Hadi al-Ameri, was a top contender for the premiership until this announcement.

The al-Fatah bloc proposed Al-Araji and Falih al-Fayyadh as potential candidates for the premiership.

The two figures had to compete with Mohammad Shiyaa al-Sudani and Ali Shukri, nominated by Nouri Al-Maliki's State of Law bloc.