President Barzani congratulates Maliki on nomination for prime minister

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday held a phone call with Iraqi Shiite politician and former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, congratulating him on his nomination for another term, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency.

“President Nechirvan Barzani extended his congratulations to Mr. Nouri al-Maliki following his nomination as the candidate for Prime Minister of Iraq. The two leaders spoke by phone this evening,” the statement said.

During the call, President Barzani expressed his support for Maliki and wished him “success in forming a government that meets the aspirations of all Iraqi citizens and effectively addresses the country’s challenges.”

Maliki, in turn, was cited as “thanking the President for reaching out and for his words of congratulations.”

The call comes a day after Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework announced Maliki as its candidate for prime minister. In a statement on Saturday, the bloc said it had “decided by majority” to nominate Maliki, citing “his political and administrative experience and his role in managing the state.”

Following the announcement of Iraq’s legislative election results in mid-November, the Coordination Framework declared it had formed the largest bloc in the incoming parliament, a crucial step toward selecting the country’s next prime minister.

If Maliki secures enough votes in the legislature, he will begin a third term as prime minister, having previously served from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2010 to 2014.

In his last term, he stepped down in September 2014, months after ISIS launched a blitz offensive in June that captured nearly one-third of Iraq’s territory. The former premier was blamed for security failures that helped pave the way for ISIS, and he also faced allegations of corruption.

Maliki currently leads the State of Law coalition, which won 29 seats in the November elections.

His nomination follows the withdrawal of incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, leader of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition (RDC) earlier this month. Sudani’s bloc had emerged as the largest winner in the elections, securing 46 seats.

In announcing its support for Maliki as prime minister, the Coordination Framework said it “reaffirms its full commitment to the constitutional process and its determination to work with all national forces to form a strong and effective government capable of addressing challenges, delivering services, and safeguarding Iraq’s security and unity.” The bloc also called on parliament “to hold its session to elect the President of the Republic according to constitutional timelines,” in a statement on Saturday.

The next step in forming Iraq’s government is the election of the president, which must be completed by January 28. Parliament announced on Sunday that it will hold its eighth session to elect the president on Tuesday.

The Iraqi legislature elected its speaker and two deputies in late December, opening a three-day window for political blocs to submit nominees for the largely ceremonial post. Since the 2003 US-led invasion, the presidency has traditionally gone to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), though the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) is also seeking the position.

Under Iraq’s constitution, the president must be elected within 30 days of the first parliamentary session, which convened on December 29.

• SHARE ON
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Whatsapp
• Share on Telegram
• Share on Viber
• Share on Messenger