The Shia political alliance that controls Iraq’s parliament is moving toward dropping former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as its nominee for prime minister. Political sources told MBN that sentiment within the Coordination Framework has shifted, with more factions now opposing his candidacy than supporting it. The coalition is holding what sources describe as a “critical” meeting Monday to settle the matter.
Maliki remains the coalition’s official nominee. The Coordination Framework, a bloc of Shia political forces that won a majority in last November’s elections, holds the constitutional right to name the prime minister. But that majority is fracturing around him.
Salam al-Zubaidi, spokesperson for the Victory Alliance led by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, told MBN that more than half of the coalition’s 12 factions now believe Maliki is the wrong choice for Iraq’s next phase. Factions that previously backed him have reversed course, citing a combination of domestic opposition and pressure from abroad. Al-Zubaidi said the most likely outcome is that Maliki steps aside.
Monday’s meeting is being held at the Baghdad home of Humam Hamoudi, head of the Islamic Supreme Council. A coalition member told MBN that a final resolution may not come from this session, but Maliki will be formally told how serious the opposition to his bid has become.
Washington has played an unusually direct role in accelerating that opposition. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump warned that the United States would cut all assistance to Iraq if Maliki returned to power. Washington has since sent multiple messages to Iraqi officials warning of sanctions if the nomination moves forward. Maliki has refused to withdraw. That leaves the coalition with a hard choice: proceed and absorb the consequences, or find someone else.
If Maliki steps down, al-Zubaidi said the most likely alternatives are current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, former Prime Minister al-Abadi, or Hamid al-Shatri, the current intelligence chief. Other names under discussion include former Health Minister Saleh al-Hasnawi and other figures who carry the approval of the Marja’iya, the supreme Shia religious authority.
The standoff has already begun to paralyze Iraq’s government. Parliament has failed twice this month to convene and elect a new president. Without a president, the Coordination Framework cannot formally receive the mandate to name a prime minister. Parliament Speaker Heibat al-Halbousi submitted an inquiry to the Federal Court last week asking it to rule on the presidential election process. Al-Zubaidi expects the court to respond this Thursday, likely with a specific deadline for Parliament to hold its session.
Once a president is elected, the coalition will have a clear window to settle the prime ministerial question, one way or another.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
Ghassan Taqi
A journalist specializing in Iraqi affairs, he has worked with the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) since 2015. He previously spent several years with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as well as various Iraqi and Arab media outlets.
