Shafaq News– Al-Sulaymaniyah

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on Sunday welcomed the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki as the Shiite Coordination Framework candidate for Iraq's prime minister.

In a statement, PUK leader Bafel Talabani expressed hope that the move would accelerate the completion of constitutional and legal procedures to form the new government, calling for “greater cooperation” among political forces to preserve stability and reach “a strong service-oriented cabinet that reflects the country’s current realities.”

The remarks followed a decision by the Framework, an umbrella alliance of Shiite political parties holding more than 185 seats in Iraq’s 329-member parliament, to nominate al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, for the post. Al-Maliki previously led two governments between 2006 and 2014, while his bloc secured 29 seats in the most recent parliamentary elections.

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The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the PUK’s main rival, also welcomed the nomination and expressed support for al-Maliki in addressing the challenges facing the country.