The ruling Shiite coalition in Iraq, the “Coordination Framework,” announced the nomination of businessman Ali al-Zaydi for the position of prime minister, thereby ending months of debate and disagreements among Shiite factions over the candidate for the post.
The Coordination Framework said in a statement that the selection of al-Zaydi came after “reviewing the names of candidates,” making him “the candidate of the Coordination Framework bloc, as the largest bloc in the Council of Representatives, to assume the position of Prime Minister and form the next government.”
Al-Zaydi’s selection came following a meeting of the Coordination Framework at the government palace in Baghdad, attended by all 12 leaders of the Shiite alliance.
The Coordination Framework praised outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, for their “responsible historic positions in relinquishing their candidacies for the premiership and the formation of the next government.”
Al-Zaydi will have 30 days from the date of his official assignment by the President of the Republic to announce the formation of his government and present it to parliament for a vote by a simple majority (half plus one).
The Presidency’s media office announced in a statement that President Nizar Amidi tasked al-Zaydi with forming the new government.
Al-Zaydi is not well known on the Iraqi political scene, and his surprise nomination came after disagreements between al-Sudani and al-Maliki, both of whom had aspired to run.
Not much information is available about al-Zaydi, who hails from Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the National Holding Company.
The company was established in 2017 and operates in sectors including agriculture, livestock, housing and real estate development, banking and financial services, information technology, media and broadcasting, transport and logistics services, as well as renewable and solar energy, according to its official website.
Previously, al-Zaydi—who holds degrees in law, finance, and banking—held several positions in private institutions, including Chairman of the Board of Al-Janoub Bank, which is subject to sanctions by the Central Bank of Iraq.
Al-Zaydi was nominated for the premiership in Iraq after a difficult internal process within the Coordination Framework, and as a compromise candidate whose name had not been put forward during government formation negotiations.
The Coordination Framework had announced in January the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for a third term, but he faced internal objections and an explicit rejection by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Since then, the Coordination Framework’s efforts to find an alternative to al-Maliki have continued amid discussions of several names, but none gained the acceptance of all leaders of the Shiite alliance.
A member of the Coordination Framework told Alhurra that the selection of al-Zaydi surprised most of the Framework’s MPs because his name had not been clearly tabled during meetings.
The member, who requested anonymity, added that al-Sudani and al-Maliki had insisted on running or nominating figures close to them, but after the constitutional deadline expired, they agreed to step aside and nominate a consensus figure to move forward with forming the government.
Regarding the possibility of a new U.S. veto against al-Zaydi, the source indicated that messages received by the Coordination Framework confirm that Washington has no objection to him.
The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to a request sent by Alhurra for comment.
Paragraph (First) of Article 76 of the Iraqi Constitution of 2005 obliges the President of the Republic to task the candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc within 15 days of his election to form a new government.
Nizar Amidi was elected as Iraq’s new president on April 10, which means the Coordination Framework has been in violation of the constitution since Sunday after failing to present its candidate for the premiership before the constitutional deadline expired.
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.
