Maliki’s party insists on PM nomination despite internal, US pressure
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki remains the candidate of the powerful Shiite Coordination Framework for the premiership of Iraq’s next government, the spokesperson for his State of Law Coalition’s parliamentary bloc said on Wednesday, hours before a scheduled meeting of the Shiite bloc amid internal and US pressure.
“We are not aware of US’s stance about nomination of Mr. Maliki but he remains Coordination Framework’s candidate,” Aqeel al-Fatlawi told Rudaw.
When the Coordination Framework appointed Maliki in January, the US President Donald Trump responded fiercely, labelling it as a “very bad decision” and threatened that Washington would “no longer help Iraq” if he was elected. Maliki labeled Trump’s message as “blatant American interference” and said he is still the Shiite block’s candidate for premiership.
Moreover, Fatlawi said on Wednesday that for them, only the “official stance of the US government matters,” downplaying the significance of Trump’s message and adding that the “decision of the Iraqis must be respected.”
Fatlawi also said Wednesday’s meeting — delayed twice already — could be called off. Nonetheless, Ahmed al-Asadi, one of the 12 Shiite leaders in the Coordination Framework, told Rudaw on Wednesday that the meeting will take place, but its “outcomes remain unknown.”
The coalition has reportedly experienced rifts over Maliki’s appointment, with some Shiite leaders calling for another candidate whose selection doesn’t trigger possible reprisal from Washington, including the possible freeze of revenues from Iraqi oil sales in the Federal Bank Reserve in New York.
In this regard, Saad al-Saadi, a political bureau member of Sadeqoun Movement - led by Shiite leader Qais al-Khazali - told Rudaw that Maliki is now “outside the vicinity of appointment,” adding that no candidate has so far been selected.
Rahim al-Aboudi, member of Hikma Movement, also told Rudaw that “Maliki’s appointment is now in the past,” noting that there are “new arrangements” in the Middle East that necessitates “responsible” decisions for selecting a premier.
However, Maliki refuses to step down from nomination. His slight compromise is to select a candidate of his choice. Discussions currently revolve around Basim al-Badri, a member of the Maliki-led Dawaa Party and head of the Accountability and Justice Commission.
“Maliki’s withdrawal is contingent upon the exclusion of former prime ministers from candidacy and his personal appointment of a replacement,” Mithaq al-Masari, a member of Badr Organization’s political bureau, told Rudaw on Wednesday. The condition would allow Maliki to sideline other potential candidates, including incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, from contention for the premiership.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing arrangement, government positions and resources are distributed along ethno-sectarian lines, with Shiites—who make up the majority of the population—holding the premiership, while Kurds and Sunnis appoint the president and parliament speaker, respectively.
Iraq held legislative elections in early November and in late December, parliament elected its speaker and two deputies. On Sunday, parliament elected the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) nominee, Nizar Amedi, as president in a vote contested by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Under the constitution, once sworn in, the president has up to 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc - the Coordination Framework - with forming a government.
“We are not aware of US’s stance about nomination of Mr. Maliki but he remains Coordination Framework’s candidate,” Aqeel al-Fatlawi told Rudaw.
When the Coordination Framework appointed Maliki in January, the US President Donald Trump responded fiercely, labelling it as a “very bad decision” and threatened that Washington would “no longer help Iraq” if he was elected. Maliki labeled Trump’s message as “blatant American interference” and said he is still the Shiite block’s candidate for premiership.
Moreover, Fatlawi said on Wednesday that for them, only the “official stance of the US government matters,” downplaying the significance of Trump’s message and adding that the “decision of the Iraqis must be respected.”
Fatlawi also said Wednesday’s meeting — delayed twice already — could be called off. Nonetheless, Ahmed al-Asadi, one of the 12 Shiite leaders in the Coordination Framework, told Rudaw on Wednesday that the meeting will take place, but its “outcomes remain unknown.”
The coalition has reportedly experienced rifts over Maliki’s appointment, with some Shiite leaders calling for another candidate whose selection doesn’t trigger possible reprisal from Washington, including the possible freeze of revenues from Iraqi oil sales in the Federal Bank Reserve in New York.
In this regard, Saad al-Saadi, a political bureau member of Sadeqoun Movement - led by Shiite leader Qais al-Khazali - told Rudaw that Maliki is now “outside the vicinity of appointment,” adding that no candidate has so far been selected.
Rahim al-Aboudi, member of Hikma Movement, also told Rudaw that “Maliki’s appointment is now in the past,” noting that there are “new arrangements” in the Middle East that necessitates “responsible” decisions for selecting a premier.
However, Maliki refuses to step down from nomination. His slight compromise is to select a candidate of his choice. Discussions currently revolve around Basim al-Badri, a member of the Maliki-led Dawaa Party and head of the Accountability and Justice Commission.
“Maliki’s withdrawal is contingent upon the exclusion of former prime ministers from candidacy and his personal appointment of a replacement,” Mithaq al-Masari, a member of Badr Organization’s political bureau, told Rudaw on Wednesday. The condition would allow Maliki to sideline other potential candidates, including incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, from contention for the premiership.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing arrangement, government positions and resources are distributed along ethno-sectarian lines, with Shiites—who make up the majority of the population—holding the premiership, while Kurds and Sunnis appoint the president and parliament speaker, respectively.
Iraq held legislative elections in early November and in late December, parliament elected its speaker and two deputies. On Sunday, parliament elected the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) nominee, Nizar Amedi, as president in a vote contested by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Under the constitution, once sworn in, the president has up to 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc - the Coordination Framework - with forming a government.
Malik Mohammed and Mushtaq Ramadhan contributed to this article from Erbil, Kurdistan Region.