Exclusive: More than 260 MPs support Maliki’s appointment as Prime Minister
Exclusive: More than 260 MPs support Maliki’s appointment as Prime Minister
2026-01-25 00:35
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The State of Law Coalition confirmed on Sunday that there are more than (260) MPs from various political blocs and components who support the coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki assuming the premiership in the coming period.
Coalition member Zuhair al-Jalabi told Shafaq News Agency that “the parliamentary majority strongly supports al-Maliki assuming the premiership in the next phase, and the objection to this was made by some Sunni political parties and will not be influential at all.”
Al-Jalabi added, “The political blocs that objected to al-Maliki’s nomination from the Sunni parties are a commercial bloc, not a political one. This objection is out of fear of losing their interests, their business, and other things that they gained during the past period. They know al-Maliki and know his strength in confronting any action outside the law.”
He pointed out that “Maliki’s nomination is strongly supported politically and there is no regional or international objection or reservation to this nomination, but on the contrary there is a welcome for it and the next few days will reveal that more clearly.”
The Coordination Framework officially announced yesterday, Saturday, the nomination of Nouri Kamel al-Maliki for the position of Prime Minister, as the candidate of the “largest” parliamentary bloc.
On Saturday evening, the “National Decisiveness” alliance, led by Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi, and the “Determination” alliance, led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, officially announced their support for the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law Coalition, as the next Prime Minister.
In this context, Mohammed al-Karbouli, a member of parliament from the Azm Alliance, said in a post on the X platform that Maliki “is the best choice for Sunnis before Shiites at this stage that the country is going through, and you may see from him good things that will make you forget the events of the past.”
Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination for a third term as prime minister comes amid political division, given that his previous term ended in 2014 amid major political and security crises that coincided with ISIS’s invasion of large areas of the country.
The nomination raised reservations among Sunni leaders, as the head of the Progress Party, Mohammed al-Halbousi, warned in a post dated January 19, 2026, against a return to “painful lean days,” calling for consideration of “national acceptance,” in a reference widely understood as an objection to the return of al-Maliki.
In contrast, the State of Law Coalition asserted that al-Maliki’s nomination enjoys “consensus” and “national acceptance,” denying the existence of a political veto against his name, amid concerns about the difficulty of passing any candidate who does not enjoy broad political and social acceptance.
shafaq.com
