Coordination Framework delays decision on new governors: source

Shafaq News/ A source from inside Iraq's influential Coordination Framework, an alliance of mainly Iran-backed Shiite political parties, has cast doubt on imminent appointments for new governors, despite the looming legal deadline.

While speculation swirls around governor choices in various provinces, the source, speaking to Shafaq News Agency, clarified that no definitive decisions have been made until the moment.

"The process remains firmly in the hands of the alliance's central leadership, with current discussions focused on establishing broad principles for the forthcoming selection procedure," the source said.

"Claims regarding specific governor selections are entirely inaccurate," the source asserted. "The leaders of the alliance are currently engaged in talks to establish selection criteria, not yet dwelling on individual candidates."

Time, nonetheless, remains a pressing factor. Iraqi law stipulates that by February 9, 2024, appointments should be finalized and functioning provincial councils should be approved by the parliament. Failure to meet this deadline could trigger legal complications and delay the resumption of normal governance.

Acknowledging the urgency, the source revealed that the framework has implemented a strategy to expedite the decision-making process. "Dividing the provinces into three designated groups (A, B, and C) aims to facilitate quicker deliberations and appointments within each category."

However, a lingering question surrounds the fate of incumbent governors. The framework has adopted a firm stance against automatic reappointments and insists on selecting fresh faces, the source added.

"Only in exceptional circumstances, where the public interest necessitates retaining an existing governor, will the framework consider such an option," the source explained.

Iraq's governing Shiite alliance emerged as the biggest winner in the country's provincial elections that were held on December 18, 2023.

The Coordination Framework, a loose coalition of Shiite groups, took 101 of 285 council seats. The election result is seen as a boon to the Iran-backed groups, which have been steadily gaining influence, in advance of a parliamentary election scheduled for 2025.

The Coordination Framework, which brought Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to office after a long dispute with the Sadrist movement, already forms the biggest bloc in Iraq’s parliament. The grouping ran three lists in the provincial election, but said they would govern together after the vote, the first such agreement in a decade.

Al-Sadr, whose party resigned from parliament in 2022 after failing to form a governing coalition, called on his supporters to stay away from the polls so as not to grant legitimacy to a "corrupt" ruling class.