The rest is up for grabs and maneuvering… Al-Sudani and Al-Maliki, one of them will be the next prime minister
The rest is up for grabs and maneuvering… Al-Sudani and Al-Maliki, one of them will be the next prime minister
2025-12-18 07:47
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Reconstruction and Development Coalition, led by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, confirmed on Thursday evening that there are only two names officially and genuinely competing for the premiership.
Coalition leader Khalid Walid told Shafaq News Agency that “the negotiating committee of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition is still working and conducting dialogues with all political forces within the coordination framework, as well as other partners from the Sunnis and Kurds, with the aim of securing a second term for the current Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. This is a shared matter and requires a comprehensive national consensus.”
According to Walid, so far there are only two official candidates for the premiership: Mohammed Shia al-Sudani from the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, and Nouri al-Maliki from the Dawa Party within the State of Law Coalition. As for the other candidates that are being circulated in the media, they are being put on the negotiating table “as a maneuver and to buy time.”
He added that “a large part of these names were for the purpose of media consumption and burning, and none of those names were adopted by the political forces, and those figures did not present any vision or special programs.”
The coalition leader continued, saying: “So far, al-Sudani’s chances of a second term are still very high, and there is a desire for this from various political parties, and this is what the next few days will reveal.”
The “Victory” coalition, led by former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, confirmed on Wednesday that the coordinating framework that brings together the Shiite political forces has not yet decided on the name of the next prime minister, noting that there is still time to complete the agreements within the constitutional deadlines.
Regarding the criteria required for the next prime minister, the spokesman for the coalition, Aqeel al-Rudaini, stressed that the current Iraqi situation includes economic challenges as a result of the drop in global oil prices, water crises with the decrease in the level of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, issues related to the Popular Mobilization Forces, in addition to external challenges, noting that these circumstances require choosing a person with experience in foreign relations, in order to be able to deal with events and developments effectively.
The Coordination Framework called last Monday for a session of the House of Representatives to be held and for its leadership to be elected, after it failed to agree on the formation of the government, while stressing at the same time the continuation of dialogues and discussions between all political parties regarding the upcoming national entitlements.
For his part, President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid set December 29 as the date for holding the first session of the Iraqi parliament.
It is worth noting that the Supreme Federal Court ratified on Sunday, December 14, the final results of the general elections for membership in the House of Representatives, which triggered the constitutional deadline for the formation of the new institutions, which begins with the President of the Republic calling on Parliament to convene within 15 days to elect its Speaker and deputies, followed by the election of the President of the Republic within 30 days, then the appointment of the Prime Minister and the formation of the government.
shafaq.com
