ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish leaders on Monday welcomed the nomination of Ali al-Zaidi as Iraq’s prime minister after the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework selected him following weeks of consultations.
In a post on X, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated Zaidi on his nomination, wishing him success in forming a “comprehensive national government that meets the aspirations of our people throughout Iraq, and works to strengthen stability and reconstruction.”
“We affirm our support for him and working with him for a better future for all Iraqis,” Barzani said.
Shiite Coordination Framework on Monday named Zaidi as its “consensus candidate” for prime minister, the bloc said in a statement, following weeks of consultations among its constituent parties and on the final day of the constitutional deadline for designating a nominee for the post, traditionally held by a Shiite.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on X that he held a call with Zaidi and congratulated him, adding that “We also expressed our support for addressing all contentious issues based on the constitution, expressing our aspiration for Iraq to witness a new era filled with security, stability, and peace.”
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani also congratulated Zaidi in a statement. “We will help him succeed in forming a capable and inclusive government and to help that government move Iraq out of the economic and security crises it face,” Talabani said.
“We will support the new government and continue our efforts to strengthen cooperation in the interest of our people,” he added.
Prime minister-designate Zaidi affirmed his “determination” to work with all political forces to form the next government in line with public expectations. His designation, while welcomed by top leadership, has also drawn scrutiny over past ties to a bank that has faced restrictions on conducting US dollar transactions as part of a wider crackdown by Baghdad on the illegal use of the greenback.
Iraq held legislative elections in early November, and in late December parliament elected its speaker and two deputies.
On April 11, parliament elected the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) nominee Nizar Amedi as president. 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.
Zaidi’s nomination comes on the final day before the constitutional deadline expires, following weeks of deliberations among the Coordination Framework’s 12 Shiite parties, which were marked by deep internal divisions.
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