Shafaq News – Baghdad
Several parties within the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) oppose granting caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani a second term, favoring an alternative nominee.
State of Law’s Alaa al-Hadadi told Shafaq News that Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Huqooq, Khadamat, State of Law, and Sadiqoon reject renewing al-Sudani’s mandate. CF decisions are made through consultation, he said, and any major objection can remove a candidate to “preserve unity.”
He added that the Framework does not operate by seat count, describing its structure as a “round table” where choices depend on political influence and consensus rather than numerical strength.
State of Law coalition, the second-largest CF bloc with 29 seats, has "only one nominee for prime minister: [its leader,] Nouri al-Maliki,” he noted. Al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Alliance won 45 seats, meanwhile, and he is seeking a new term, though al-Hadadi said he “will not move forward easily” due to internal resistance.
Political sources earlier told Shafaq News the race has narrowed to al-Sudani and Intelligence Service chief Hamid al-Shatri from an initial list of 15 candidates.
Iraq held parliamentary elections on November 11 with turnout exceeding 56 percent. Shiite factions secured about 187 seats, Sunni factions 77, and Kurdish parties 56. The other nine seats went to the minorities quota.
Iraq’s political system is based on power-sharing, with the prime minister traditionally drawn from the Shia community, the parliament speaker from the Sunni community, and the president from the Kurdish community.
Read more: Iraq’s post-election road map: From ballot to government formation