Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Islamic Dawa Party, led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, on Thursday conditioned the unity of the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) on all factions adhering to central decisions, warning against attempts to “break wills” in the dispute over forming a new government.

In a statement marking the anniversary of the 1980 execution of cleric Mohammed Baqir al-Sadr and his sister Amina al-Sadr (Bint al-Huda) by the former regime of Saddam Hussein, the party described the killings as a “crime” that ushered in widespread repression, mass arrests, and violence. It warned against the re-emergence of authoritarian rule under “misleading” narratives and attempts to divert the political process away from its democratic path and the will of voters.

Dawa urged factions to accelerate government formation, stressing that the CF —the largest parliamentary bloc with more than 185 seats in Iraq’s 329-member parliament— must uphold its agreed decision on the prime minister nominee, framing adherence to that decision as a test of internal unity.

The party also pressed for broader consensus with political partners to complete remaining constitutional posts “without creating opposing axes.” It emphasized the need for a government that reflects the outcome of recent elections and can address security, economic, and service challenges, as well as the repercussions of ongoing regional tensions, while protecting Iraq’s armed forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-recognized security umbrella.

Iraq’s Parliament Presidency has set April 11 for a session to elect a president, a step required before naming a prime minister under the post-2003 power-sharing system, which allocates the presidency to a Kurd, the premiership to a Shiite, and the speakership to a Sunni Arab. Efforts have repeatedly stalled due to disagreements between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the two main Kurdish parties, over a joint candidate, preventing the quorum needed for a vote.

A source previously told Shafaq News that Shiite factions have proposed Accountability and Justice Commission chief Basim Al-Badri as a compromise prime minister candidate, but al-Maliki —who also heads the State of Law Coalition— rejected the proposal. The Coordination Framework had already nominated al-Maliki for the post in January —a decision that faced US opposition— and he has since maintained his candidacy, insisting that any change must come through a formal decision by the alliance.

Read more: Iraq PM race stuck between largest bloc dispute and US pressure