What’s next for Iraq as Nouri al-Maliki gets nominated for PM?
Maliki, who resigned after the 2014 ISIS offensive, has been nominated by Iraq’s largest parliamentary alliance but must still be formally nominated by the next president and form a government that secures parliamentary approval.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki may be on the verge of a comeback after being nominated by the powerful Coordination Framework to be the next premier, though he still faces a number of hurdles. Maliki has extensive experience dealing with both Iran and the United States and would return to office amid an altered regional landscape.
What happened: The Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shiite-led parties, nominated Maliki as their candidate for prime minister following a meeting of the alliance on Saturday, citing his “political and administrative experience and his role in managing the state” in a statement.
The group said that the meeting occurred at the office of Hadi al-Ameri, the leader of the Iran-backed Badr Organization, which is a key member of the Coordination Framework, and that Maliki received a “majority” of votes. They called on parliament to convene a session to elect a president.
The Coordination Framework includes a number of influential Shiite politicians, many of whom are close to Tehran. Along with Maliki and Ameri, the framework includes current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia leader Qais al-Khazali, among others.
