Al-Sudani’s bloc sets criteria for prime minister selection

Shafaq News – Baghdad

The Reconstruction and Development (Al-Ima’ar wal Tanmiya) Coalition, the winning bloc in Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections, revealed on Monday the key provisions of its initiative regarding the selection of the largest bloc’s candidate for Iraq’s new government.

In a statement, the coalition emphasized that the candidate should possess a successful track record in managing state affairs and executive positions, hold a practical vision and government program aligned with the upcoming challenges, enjoy broad national acceptance, and be formally endorsed by one of the Coordination Framework forces through nomination.

The statement added that if consensus on the candidate cannot be reached, “alternative mechanisms will be considered, including relying on electoral weights within the Coordination Framework.

The coalition, headed by Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, said the initiative aims to preserve the Coordination Framework’s unity, uphold consensus-driven decision-making, accelerate the selection process, establish transparent criteria for choosing the prime minister-designate, and ensure the candidate enjoys the confidence of the electorate.

Iraq’s power-sharing system assigns the premiership to a Shia figure, the speakership to a Sunni, and the presidency to a Kurd. With all forces capturing a significant number of seats, selecting the three positions has evolved into a process shaped by cross-component bargaining and continuous recalculation. 

Read more: Iraq's new parliament: No bloc can impose, none can be ignored