Iraq's Shiite bloc holds talks with Kurds as deadlock on president, PM persists

Iraq’s political leaders failed to resolve a deepening presidential deadlock Monday, despite a series of talks held across the country. Divisions in the capital are further complicated by US opposition to the Shiite bloc’s choice for prime minister.

What happened: Senior figures in Iraq’s Coordination Framework held a series of meetings Monday in Baghdad, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah, aiming to resolve the presidential dispute and accelerate government formation. In Erbil, a delegation led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met with Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani to discuss the presidential selection and regional issues, including the “situation in Syria,” according to the prime minister’s office.

The meetings underscore growing frustration over Iraq’s political stalemate, which has left the country without a president or a fully functioning government since the new parliament convened in late December. Rivalries between Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni factions, combined with US opposition to the leading Shiite bloc’s prime ministerial choice, have complicated efforts to form a cabinet and raised concerns about continued political instability.

Sudani’s delegation included Hadi al-Ameri, head of the Iran-backed Badr Organization, and Abbas Radi, secretary-general of the Coordination Framework. Later Monday, the group met senior Patriotic Union of Kurdistan officials in Sulaimaniyah, including party leader Bafel Talabani, to discuss resolving the presidential dispute, according to Sudani’s office.