Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has succeeded in easing tensions between State of Law Coalition (SLC) head Nouri Al-Maliki and Qais Al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, after a dispute over deputy prime minister posts, an informed source told Shafaq News on Sunday.

According to the source, Al-Zaidi “personally intervened” to ease the disagreement and end the public sparring between the two sides, although the deputy PM issue will remain on the agenda of future meetings of the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework (CF).

The dispute erupted during the CF’s September 7 meeting, attended by Al-Zaidi, after Al-Maliki rejected a proposal to create deputy prime ministers. A day later, Al-Zaidi called Al-Maliki to push for de-escalation, completion of the cabinet, and a review of the proposal.

Abdulrahman Al-Jazairi, a senior member of the Al-Qasam Movement affiliated with State of Law, told Shafaq News that there was strong opposition to Asaib Ahl Al-Haq nominee Laith Al-Khazali and that new candidates would need to be considered. Discussions will also cover reducing deputy prime ministers’ salaries while preserving political blocs’ shares of cabinet portfolios according to their parliamentary representation.

Al-Maliki, the source said, had also urged de-escalation and rapprochement at a recent meeting with SLC leaders. On September 11, he publicly called on politicians, media figures, and bloggers to avoid fabricated or manipulated accusations and retaliatory attacks, warning that such exchanges could deepen tensions among political partners.

The former prime minister also instructed State of Law’s Shura Council to review candidates for the vacant ministries allocated to the coalition within 72 hours starting September 12, while taking other political forces’ agreed shares into account. Nine of 23 ministries currently remain without permanent ministers, including Defense, Interior, Planning, and Higher Education.