Coordination Framework eyes Sudani re-election as ‘consensus candidate’ option fades: Coalition

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Factions within Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework are increasingly moving away from the idea of a “consensus candidate” to break the deadlock over the prime ministerial nomination, instead considering incumbent caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani for the post, a member of his parliamentary bloc said ahead of a long-delayed meeting scheduled for Monday.

The repeated postponement of earlier meetings signals the apparent collapse of the consensus-candidate approach and a shift toward selecting a nominee from the largest bloc within the Coordination Framework, said Ali Abdulamir al-Kaabi, a member of Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition, in remarks to the state-run al-Sabah newspaper.

Sudani’s coalition won 46 seats in Iraq’s 329-member parliament in November’s elections, making it the largest bloc in the legislature.

However, in January the Coordination Framework nominated former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki for the role - a move that drew sharp criticism from US President Donald Trump, who called the nomination a “very bad choice” and warned that Washington would “no longer help Iraq” if Maliki were appointed.

Maliki rejected the remarks as “blatant American interference” and refused to withdraw his candidacy.

His stance has reportedly deepened divisions within the Shiite alliance, prompting some leaders to revisit the idea of a compromise “consensus candidate.”

Among the names floated is Bassem al-Badri, head of the Accountability and Justice Commission and a member of Maliki’s State of Law Coalition.

Meanwhile, Zahra al-Sadr, a member of the Hikma Movement’s political bureau, said the consensus option has not been entirely ruled out, noting that Maliki has yet to formally withdraw from the race. Speaking to al-Sabah, she described Monday’s meeting as “pivotal and important,” adding that it was convened at Sudani’s request.

Last week, Iraq’s parliament elected Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) nominee Nizar Amedi as president. Under the constitution, the president has up to 15 days after taking office to task the largest parliamentary bloc - currently the Coordination Framework - with forming a government.

That leaves the bloc with just six days, until next Sunday, to agree on a nominee for prime minister.

According to a member of the Badr Organization’s political bureau, Maliki’s potential withdrawal hinges on an agreement to exclude former prime ministers from the race and allow him to nominate a successor. Reports suggest he has proposed Basim al-Badri as his preferred compromise candidate.