Shafaq News– Baghdad

The National Political Council (NPC), a body bringing together Sunni parties that won seats in the 2025 parliamentary elections, urged on Saturday the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) to assume “historic responsibility” in selecting Iraq’s next Prime Minister, warning against repeating leadership approaches that have failed to ensure stability or restore public trust.

In a statement, the council stressed that Iraq’s current challenges require decisions that place the country’s interests above personal or political considerations. It raised concerns about potential candidates linked to past periods marked by political turmoil, security lapses, and economic crises whose consequences remain evident today.

Clarifying that these concerns are neither sectarian nor strictly political, the NPC invoked the repeated calls of religious authorities in Najaf for leaders capable of managing crises, cooperating with diverse communities, and safeguarding national unity.

The council’s statement comes after the Framework nominated former Prime Minister and head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri Al-Maliki, as its candidate for Iraq’s next premier.

Read more: Nouri Al-Maliki: A name that still divides andtests the politics of memory

Iraq concluded its sixth parliamentary election since 2003 on November 11, recording nationwide turnout above 56%. Final results ratified by the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) showed Shiite parties securing 187 seats, Sunni blocs winning 77 seats, and Kurdish parties taking 56 seats. Al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition (SLC) captured 29 seats.

Under Iraq’s power-sharing system, the premiership goes to a Shia figure, the speakership to a Sunni, and the presidency to a Kurd. With major forces holding sizable blocs, the selection of the PM post has turned into a process driven by cross-component bargaining and ongoing political recalibration.

Read more: Iraq’s Government talks reopen the 2010–2014 political memory