The path of antagonism… Al-Halbousi puts his party in front of a scenario that would cost him the presidency of parliament and his government positions.
The path of antagonism… Al-Halbousi puts his party in front of a scenario that would cost him the presidency of parliament and his government positions.
2-8-2026
Information/Baghdad…
The announcement by the ousted Speaker of Parliament, Mohammed al-Halbousi, of his path of hostility by rejecting al-Maliki’s candidacy for the premiership and standing against him, may pave the way for emptying his party of the positions it obtained, most notably the presidency of Parliament and other positions in local governments, especially after ending the partnership with the State of Law Coalition, even though al-Maliki came as a candidate from the Coordination Framework, which is considered the largest bloc in Iraq and not just the Shiite component. This hostility will have major political repercussions in the near future, after al-Halbousi defined his path despite being one of the strongest partners of the State of Law Coalition in parliamentary positions and local governments.
Ali al-Alawi, a member of the State of Law Coalition, told Al-Maalomah that “there is a plan to remove Halbousi from the speakership of parliament after the head of the Progress Party worked to end the partnership with the State of Law Coalition and announced his rejection of Maliki’s candidacy for prime minister.”
He added that “the State of Law Coalition has many agreements and understandings within parliament, and since Halbousi has decided to distance himself, the State of Law will stand with another partner who agrees with the coalition to serve the country’s interests.”
He explained that “all coalitions with Halbousi’s party in provincial councils and other arenas will end, most notably in the Baghdad Provincial Council and other governorates, especially since Halbousi wanted to end the partnership between Progress and the State of Law, and therefore he did so for his own purposes.”
For his part, Ibrahim al-Sakini, a member of the Coordination Framework, told Al-Maalomah that “al-Halbousi’s attempts to disrupt the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, for the position of Prime Minister stem from his feeling of political and popular vacuum, especially after losing much of his influence, which he is trying to regain by targeting the leaders of the Framework.”
He added that “the matter of choosing the Prime Minister is the exclusive prerogative of the Coordination Framework, as the largest bloc, and no political party will be allowed to try to impose its will or interfere in the selection mechanisms,” noting that “al-Halbousi’s motives have become clear to everyone and aim to incite political chaos after his standing on the national stage has declined.”
In a related development, Raed Ali al-Dulaimi, a member of the United Anbar Alliance, told Al-Maalomah that “Mohammed al-Halbousi, head of the Progress Party, unexpectedly met with senior officials at the US Embassy and the Turkish Ambassador in Baghdad. He also held intensive talks with the heads of several Gulf states and Jordan, coinciding with the announcement by the Coordination Framework of Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination for Prime Minister.” Al-Dulaimi added that “al-Halbousi’s objection to al-Maliki’s nomination and his attempt to introduce foreign influence into the new government formation are driven by transparent motives.”
He further stated that “the meetings and phone calls were conducted secretly, without disclosing the agreements reached, which aim to sow chaos during the vote to elect al-Maliki.” He explained that “these repeated meetings between al-Halbousi and the US and Turkish ambassadors raise numerous questions, especially since they coincided with the Coordination Framework’s consensus on nominating al-Maliki for Prime Minister and constitute interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.”
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