Iraqi ruling bloc heads to crunch talks over Al-Maliki premiership bid
Shafaq News– Baghdad
Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest bloc in parliament, is heading into a “decisive” evening meeting to resolve divisions over nominating Nouri Al-Maliki for the premiership, a source told Shafaq News on Saturday.
According to the source, the talks are expected to tackle objections from Ammar Al-Hakim, leader of Al-Hikma (Wisdom) Movement, Qais Al-Khazali, head of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, and reservations voiced by Hadi Al-Ameri of the Badr Organization, with participants weighing two paths: closing ranks behind al-Maliki or shifting to a consensus candidate outside the nine names previously circulated.
The meeting, the source added, could also finalize the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc for prime minister, a pivotal step toward launching the formal government formation process.
Earlier this week, a source noted to Shafaq News that the CF has been reviewing internal political understandings and their impact on unity within the bloc.
Al-Maliki, whose State of Law Coalition won 29 seats in the recent parliamentary elections, emerges as a leading contender within the CF, while caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, whose Reconstruction and Development (Al-Ima’ar wal Tanmiya) Coalition secured 46 seats, withdrew from the race for a second term. The source described Al-Sudani’s move as a “political tactic” aimed at placing Al-Maliki’s candidacy directly before the alliance, particularly as some parties oppose the latter's return to office amid upcoming domestic and regional challenges.
Read more: Nouri Al-Maliki: A name that still divides and tests the politics of memory
Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing convention, the presidency is held by a Kurd, the premiership by a Shiite, and the speakership of parliament by a Sunni Arab. Together, CF-aligned forces hold around 180 of the 329 seats in parliament, giving the alliance decisive influence over the formation of the next government.
