The coordinating framework is meeting to resolve the differences between its leaders regarding al-Maliki’s nomination for prime minister.

The coordinating framework is meeting to resolve the differences between its leaders regarding al-Maliki’s nomination for prime minister.

2026-01-17 02:16

Shafaq News – Baghdad
The leaders of the Coordination Framework, which includes Shiite political forces and parties, will hold an “important and crucial” meeting this Saturday evening to discuss the disagreements over the nomination of the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, for the position of Prime Minister in the next Iraqi government, after objections were raised by the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and the Secretary-General of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Movement, Qais al-Khazali, with reservations from the Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri.

An informed source told Shafaq News Agency that the meeting will seek to reach an agreement on supporting Maliki or going towards a new candidate from outside the (9) nominated names, and perhaps during today’s meeting an agreement will be reached on the candidate of the largest bloc for the premiership.

An informed source revealed last Tuesday that the Shiite Coordination Framework forces will hold their periodic meeting this Saturday to decide on the nomination of the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, for the position of Prime Minister in the new government.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that the meeting will include “discussing the issue of nominating Maliki for the next government and assessing the final positions of the framework leaders regarding Maliki’s nomination for prime minister for the third time.”

The source also indicated that “the withdrawal and resignation of the leader of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, the outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, from the race to win the premiership for the second time seems to have been a political tactic in order to put al-Maliki in front of the coordination framework, especially since there are some parties that do not want al-Maliki to return to power amidst the upcoming challenges and changes internally and regionally.”

He pointed out that the coordinating framework wants to form “a strong government acceptable to all political parties, capable of achieving balance in managing the next phase, in addition to assessing the general situation and ending the state of political stagnation and deadlock, along with other issues.”

The source added that “the issue of side understandings between some of the framework forces will also be discussed, in reference to (the understandings between the Reconstruction and Development bloc and the State of Law coalition and the formation of a unified parliamentary front), and the effects of this on the Shiite house, as it may cause the disintegration of the coordination framework.”

The spokesman for the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, Firas al-Muslawi, confirmed last Monday that the head of the coalition, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, had withdrawn his candidacy for the position of Prime Minister in favor of the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, while revealing the formation of the “largest parliamentary bloc” between the two coalitions.

Al-Muslawi told Shafaq News Agency, “The coordination framework made a decision to authorize Al-Sudani and Al-Maliki to agree on the nomination of a candidate for the next prime minister. More than one meeting took place between them to discuss the government program and the upcoming challenges. Therefore, we and the leadership of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition unanimously decided (leaders and members) that Al-Sudani would withdraw his nomination in favor of Al-Maliki.”

He added that “the decision came to break the deadlock in the matter of choosing a framework candidate for the premiership and to adhere to constitutional timelines, and for several other reasons, including our concern for the interest of Iraq,” indicating that “the names included in the list of candidates are obscure names and cannot be named for this important position, which is the highest executive authority in the country.”

It is noted that a source within the Shiite coordination framework revealed to Shafaq News Agency that the forces that met last Saturday at the home of the leader of the Iraqi Foundation Coalition, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, sought clarification on the reasons that prompted the outgoing Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, to withdraw from the nomination and give space to the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, to run.

According to the source, Maliki’s nomination was supported by most of the Coordination leaders, with the exception of the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, who sought the opinion of the religious authority and sent a message to the religious authority in Najaf. However, the latter renewed its refusal to interfere in the nomination of the prime minister, and thus the competition became limited to Maliki only.

Since the ratification of the election results held in November 2025, the Coordination Framework has begun holding meetings and conducting discussions among its forces and with other parties to decide on the position of Prime Minister, which is allocated to the Shiite component according to the custom in place after 2003.

shafaq.com