Shafaq News– Baghdad

Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council on Thursday warned that delays in selecting the country’s top leadership posts could invite foreign interference, after parliament postponed a vote to elect the president and US objections to a potential return of Nouri Al-Maliki to the premiership.

In a statement, the Council stressed the importance of adhering to constitutional deadlines for completing the election of the President of the Republic and appointing the Prime Minister, urging all political parties and forces to “respect these timelines and avoid any violations, to preserve political stability, ensure the democratic process proceeds within constitutional and legal frameworks, and prevent any external interference.”

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said Washington would withdraw support if former prime minister Al-Maliki returned to office. The Shiite Coordination Framework, parliament’s largest bloc, which nominated Al-Maliki, held an emergency meeting that exposed internal divisions over whether to press his candidacy or seek an alternative to avoid escalation, sources told Shafaq News.

Read more: Nouri Al-Maliki’s return rekindles Iraq’s divisions as Iran and the US pull apart