Shafaq News-Baghdad
Leaders of Iraq'sShiite Coordination Framework (CF) —the largest bloc in the country's 329-seatparliament— on Friday are set to decide the next prime minister, thoughdivisions persist and no candidate has secured consensus, a political sourcetold Shafaq News.
Competition betweenthe State of Law Coalition (SLC), led by former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki,and the Reconstruction and Development (Al-Ima'ar wal-Tanmiya) Coalition,headed by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, remains unresolved,raising the likelihood that the meeting will again end without a finaldecision. Additionally, chances for Ihsan Al-Awadi, the candidate backed byAl-Ima'ar wal-Tanmiya, have declined due to objections from within the blocitself, the source noted, adding that the coalition is considering nominatingan alternative figure.
According to thesource, some CF leaders are expected to propose a compromise candidate backedby all factions, with several names under consideration ahead of the eveningmeeting.
Earlier, MP MahmoudAl-Shammari from the Parliamentary Services (Khadamat) bloc revealed thatlawmakers are preparing to collect signatures and submit a formal request tothe Iraqi President to nominate a suitable candidate for prime minister if theCoordination Framework fails to reach an agreement by Saturday.
The Framework hadpostponed a previous meeting scheduled for April 24 after failing to agree on anominee, following two inconclusive sessions.
Under Iraq’spost-2003 power-sharing system, the presidency is held by a Kurd, thepremiership by a Shiite, and the speakership by a Sunni Arab. Parliamentelected Nizar Amedi as president on April 11, initiating the process tonominate a prime minister. The CF has 15 days to present its candidate, afterwhich the nominee has 30 days to form a government and secure parliamentaryconfidence under Article 76 of the constitution.
: Coordination Framework: Can govern Iraq, but cannot agree on a PM
