Iraqi ruling bloc narrows prime minister race to five candidates

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in parliament, convened a closed-door meeting this week to map out a mechanism for selecting its nominee for prime minister, with five names under review, according to a senior figure in the Badr Organization.

Moeen Al-Kadhimi told Shafaq News on Thursday that the alliance’s leadership met outside its regular schedule and deliberately excluded potential candidates from the discussion, concentrating instead on narrowing the field to a figure viewed as capable of forming the next cabinet.

He indicated that a decision would come after parliament elects a speaker and two deputies, noting that the shortlist includes caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, several former officeholders, and National Security Adviser Qasim Al-Araji, with an announcement expected soon.

The Coordination Framework has yet to reach agreement on forming a new government. Talks over a prime ministerial candidate have reached a “near stalemate,” and any final choice would require approval from the United States, senior Framework member Abdulrahman Al-Jazaeri told Shafaq News on December 23.

Under Iraq’s constitution, parliament must convene within 15 days of ratifying election results to elect a speaker and deputies, followed by a presidential vote within 30 days, after which the president designates a prime minister to form a government.

President Abdul Latif Rashid has scheduled December 29 for the first parliamentary session, to be chaired by the oldest elected lawmaker, Amer Al-Fayez. Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system reserves the speakership for a Sunni Arab, the premiership for a Shiite Arab, and the presidency for a Kurd.

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