Iraqs Shia Bloc Nominates New Prime Minister Amid International Scrutiny

Iraq’s Coordination Framework Bloc Fails to Nominate Prime Ministerial Candidate Amid Internal Power Struggles

Baghdad, Iraq - The largest parliamentary bloc of Shia parties in Iraq, the Coordination Framework, has yet to choose its prime ministerial candidate amid internal divisions. The incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is facing a challenge from former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is seeking to return to power.

The framework, which holds approximately 185 of 329 seats in parliament, must nominate a prime minister by April 26 as required by the Iraqi constitution. This deadline comes amid a delicate balancing act between Iraq’s ties with the United States and its eastern neighbor, Iran.

Over the weekend, Ismail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, visited Baghdad at the request of caretaker Prime Minister al-Sudani. According to sources, Qaani aimed to break the leadership deadlock by convincing the Shia Coordination Framework not to nominate Bassem al-Badri as prime minister.

Falih al-Fayadh, chairman of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), mediated the visit and met with Qaani, al-Maliki, al-Sudani, and other Coordination Framework leaders. The PMF is an umbrella organization of mostly Shia armed groups, some of whom have close ties to Iran.

The US has expressed concerns about Iran’s influence through its allied groups in the region. Qaani met with Abu Fadak al-Mohammadawi, the PMF’s chief of staff, and other leaders. A separate source stated that al-Mohmadawi is leading efforts within the Framework to block al-Sudani’s bid for a second term.

The Coordination Framework has called a meeting for Monday to select its prime ministerial candidate. The framework’s general secretariat has set a single agenda item: selecting the prime ministerial candidate. However, leaders have been unable to agree on a name in recent meetings.

The crisis comes as Iraq navigates its relationships with both the US and Iran. Political appointments have often exposed sectarian and ethnic divisions under Iraq’s power-sharing system, which allocates positions such as president, speaker of parliament, and prime minister based on sectarian lines.

Source: Al Jazeera