Can Maliki overcome Trump opposition to reclaim Iraq’s PM post?
US President Donald Trump’s opposition to the former prime minister and reports of potential retribution toward Iraq are receiving pushback in the country, which is already suffering from political paralysis.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is attempting to win favor with the United States as he eyes a return to office, leveraging his relations with militias while rebuffing accusations that he is loyal to Iran.
While Maliki retains significant backing within his political camp amid Iraq’s ongoing deadlock, experts say convincing Washington to support him will be difficult.
Maliki was nominated last month by the Coordination Framework — an alliance of Shiite-led parties — for the position of prime minister, but he has yet to face a parliamentary vote due to a dispute between the two main Kurdish parties over the presidency, a post historically held by a Kurd.
Under the Iraqi constitution, parliament must first elect a president before that president can task the nominee of the largest post-election alliance — in this case the Coordination Framework, which holds around 170 seats in the 329-member legislature — with forming a government. Maliki previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014.
