Coordination Framework figure says PM talks stalled as US approval seen as key

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Negotiations among Iraq’s Shiite political forces over selecting a new prime minister have reached a “near stalemate,” and any final decision will require US approval, a senior figure in the Coordination Framework told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Abdulrahman al-Jazaeri, a leading member of the Framework — a coalition of Shiite parties that dominates Iraq’s ruling alliance — said there is no consensus on any of the names currently circulating for the premiership, pointing out that“choosing the next prime minister will not happen without American approval."

"The Shiite political forces have reached a near dead end” because none of the proposed candidates has secured broad agreement."

Regarding the Framework’s rally behind the caretaker prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, he noted that the move would face serious internal resistance that could block the formation of a new government.“Some parties within the Framework reject renewing al-Sudani’s term, including the State of Law Coalition and the Supreme Council. These divisions would prevent any cabinet from winning parliamentary backing.

He added that alternative options, including the formation of a so-called “rescue government,” would also fail to break the impasse, stressing that the next prime minister would need to be a political figure with both international and regional acceptance.

“All Shiite forces know the identity of the expected prime minister,” al-Jazaeri said, without naming the candidate.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ibtisam al-Hilali, a lawmaker from the State of Law Coalition, said her bloc had rejected a political initiative put forward by al-Sudani’s Construction and Development Coalition regarding the selection of the next prime minister, confirming that several Coordination Framework leaders oppose renewing his mandate.

The initiative proposed by al-Sudani’s coalition sought to resolve the dispute over naming the largest parliamentary bloc’s candidate for prime minister by prioritizing consensus within the Coordination Framework based on specific criteria, including executive experience and national acceptance. It also outlined a fallback option based on electoral weight if consensus proves unattainable.

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