Al-Maliki's coalition seeks to change governors of Diyala, Diwaniyah, and Karbala

Shafaq News/ The State of Law coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, is seeking to replace the governors of Diyala, Diwaniyah, and Karbala with its own candidates, a member of the coalition said on Wednesday.

Abdul Rahman al-Jazairi, a member of the State of Law coalition, told the Shafaq News agency that the coalition has proposed a new candidate for the governorship of Diyala. This candidate, according to al-Jazairi, is not controversial and enjoys the support of the people of Diyala, unlike the current governor, Muthanna al-Tamimi.

In Karbala, al-Jazairi said the State of Law believes a change in leadership is necessary. He explained that the coalition had previously reached an agreement with the Coordination Framework, an alliance or mainly Iran-backed Shiite political forces, to appoint new governors for the governorate. However, al-Jazairi claims this agreement was not honored. He accused the Karbala Governorate Council of holding a meeting and selecting a governor of their own choosing, "marginalizing qualified candidates" in the process. Al-Jazairi called this action "unconstitutional and contrary to the agreement that was reached."

The State of Law Coalition is seeking a change in leadership for the Diwaniyah governorate, al-Jazairi said. "This was part of the original agreement with the Coordination Framework."

Al-Jazairi said that the State of Law has not interfered in the selection of governors other than Kirkuk and the western provinces of Anbar, Saladin, and Nineveh. However, he indicated that the coalition had recently pushed for amendments to the governor selection process during its latest meeting with the Coordination Framework.