EXCLUSIVE: Al-Maliki holds to Iraq's premiership bid as CF weighs alternative
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Nouri Al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, rejected reports of a possible withdrawal from the race for Iraq’s premiership, as the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) intensifies internal deliberations over its nominee, sources told Shafaq News on Monday.
A source close to the former premier described the claims of an imminent retreat as “politically motivated rumors,” stressing that no meeting of the CF, the largest parliamentary bloc which had previously nominated Al-Maliki, was scheduled Monday to announce or formalize any decision.
Meanwhile, senior figures within the Framework have held consultative meetings to reassess the nomination. A CF source revealed that leaders who oppose Al-Maliki’s return sought to unify positions within the Shiite political house and discussed the possibility of selecting an alternative from a previously proposed list of candidates.
The source cited mounting domestic crises, regional instability, and external pressure as key factors shaping the debate, adding that some factions fear that accumulated challenges could trigger public backlash against the broader political process. “The final decision remains in the hands of the Framework.”
Naseem Abdullah, a member of the political bureau of the Eqtadar Watan Movement within the CF, underlined that the alliance would consider “the challenges facing the country and the issue of national consensus” before resolving the matter, emphasizing that a unified decision is the objective.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing arrangement, the presidency is traditionally held by a Kurd, the premiership by a Shiite, and the speakership by a Sunni Arab. Parliament must elect a president by a two-thirds quorum before the head of state can task the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government. Previous attempts collapsed after divisions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) prevented quorum.
Political tensions have further escalated following a warning by US President Donald Trump that Washington could reconsider its dealings with Iraq if Al-Maliki were to return as prime minister. A CF source also disclosed that caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani received a written proposal to extend the caretaker government’s mandate for one year with reduced powers as a possible way to ease the impasse.
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