Shafaq News- Baghdad

Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, has told Coordination Framework leaders he is willing to withdraw his candidacy for prime minister on the condition that incumbent PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is not nominated for a second term, a source told Shafaq News Monday.

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Al-Maliki also stipulated that no figure who previously served as prime minister be nominated, a condition, the source pointed out, understood by other figures, to target Haider al-Abadi, leader of the al-Nasr Coalition, who previously served as prime minister from 2014 to 2018 during the war against ISIS.

According to the source, several names are under consideration for the post, though no candidate has been finalized, and today’s Coordination Framework meeting is expected to discuss al-Maliki's conditions and examine alternative candidates.

The source noted that PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces) leadership is expected to play a role in determining the final nominee, and that the meeting may not produce a conclusive decision, with a final choice potentially deferred to a subsequent session.

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The Reconstruction and Development Coalition (Al-Ima'ar wal-Tanmiya) confirmed Monday it is strongly pushing its leader, al-Sudani, as its candidate to form the next Iraqi government, with a decision potentially expected within 48 hours.

The Coordination Framework, which holds the largest bloc in parliament, was formally tasked by the Speaker of the Council of Representatives on April 11 to nominate a prime ministerial candidate within 15 days. Once a candidate is approved, the designated premier has 30 days to present a cabinet and secure a parliamentary confidence vote, in accordance with Article 76 of the Iraqi constitution.

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