Internal conflict gives Trump the green light to intervene in the prime minister selection process.
Internal conflict gives Trump the green light to intervene in the prime minister selection process.
2-18-2026
The conflict within the Iraqi political process continues regarding the presidency and the prime ministership. Although the presidential post is associated with the Kurds and is contested between the two main parties in the region, the most prominent conflict revolves around the selection of the new prime minister. The objections of some factions within the Shia bloc, as well as the Sunnis’ entry into the fray to reject Maliki’s candidacy for prime minister, have opened the door for American intervention, specifically from President Donald Trump, to veto and prevent Maliki from assuming power. This aligns with the interests of some parties seeking to appease the occupying power in order to gain political advantages. Zuhair
al-Jalabi, a member of the State of Law Coalition, told Al-Maalomah, “Talk of the State of Law Coalition leader withdrawing his candidacy for prime minister is merely wishful thinking, as many parties aspire to the position.”
He added, “Those who are hesitant in their stance towards Maliki have media outlets and social media platforms which they use to issue statements and tweets on the issues they wish to raise.”
He explained that “the world is now governed by tweets and social media posts, as it is unreasonable to discuss everything through these platforms, which has led to many contradictions in media statements.”
For his part, Hussein al-Karawi, a member of the organizing committee of the popular movement for the Faw Port and the Silk Road, told Al-Maalomah that “US President Donald Trump has no right or authority to impose or reject al-Maliki’s candidacy for prime minister,” noting that “Iraq’s enemies, including Zionists, Turks, and Arab Gulf Arabs, are still imposing their will.” He added that “whoever joined hands with these groups, even if they opposed al-Maliki, should not have acted in this bullying manner towards Iraq, as they gave these groups a pretext to intervene directly and openly without any regard for Iraq and its independence.”
He continued, “The interventions were not public in the past, but today every Iraqi politician who declares his opposition has invited others to intervene. Therefore, instead of insisting on the country’s liberation from American arrogance, these politicians, through their actions, have entrenched its continued presence.”
In a related development, the office of Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, denied on Tuesday that the Coordination Framework had withdrawn its nomination of al-Maliki for the position of Prime Minister. Hisham al-Rikabi, the media director for the head of the State of Law Coalition, clarified in a post on the “X” platform, which was monitored by the Al-Maalomah News Agency, that “in light of the malicious media campaign promoting claims that al-Maliki’s nomination has been withdrawn by the Coordination Framework and that alternative names have been put forward, we affirm that these reports are baseless.” He added, “The Coordination Framework remains committed to its political positions, and attempts to mislead public opinion will not succeed.”
almaalomah.me
