Diyala Governor position still up for grabs as al-Maliki, al-Ameri seek consensus

Shafaq News/ A political source confirmed on Tuesday that negotiations are ongoing to reach common ground on the name of Diyala's next governor, with no disagreements reported so far between the leaders of the State of Law bloc, Nouri al-Maliki, and the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri.

"Both parties still agree that the State of Law Coalition will form the Diyala local government, but a mutually agreeable candidate must be chosen for the governor position," a political source revealed on Tuesday. "Discussions are underway over a roster of potential candidates, with efforts to establish communication channels with other political blocs to expedite the local government formation."

The source anticipates a resolution by the end of this week or next, prior to March 5th, which marks the legal deadline for selecting a governor after the first council meeting, as stipulated by the amended Governorate Councils Law 21 of 2008.

This development follows the Diyala Council's opening session on February 5th, where they decided to remain open due to an inability to secure an absolute majority vote for the chairman, necessitating a second round. The session was then suspended again due to a quorum loss after several members withdrew before the vote concluded.