National Contract and Sumerians Movement quit Al-Sudani's coalition over marginalization claims
Shafaq News- Baghdad
The National Contract Party (Al-Aqd al-Watani), led by the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Faleh al-Fayyad, and the Sumerians movement, headed by former Labor Minister Ahmed al-Asadi, announced their withdrawal from the Reconstruction and Development Coalition (RDC), led by former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, citing marginalization and the violation of prior political agreements.
In a joint statement, the two blocs said they were pulling out in response to what they described as a blatant circumvention of political and organizational agreements during a parliamentary session the previous day, alongside the breach of commitments previously reached, and the deliberate exclusion of several elected representatives, practices they said were incompatible with democratic principles and the spirit of national partnership.
The statement also pointed to attempts to strip constitutionally entitled representatives of their rights, and accused the coalition leadership of handling political files with a score-settling mentality that placed personal interests above the national good, contributing, directly or indirectly, to the disorder and tension that erupted inside parliament Thursday.
The two blocs announced they would sever ties with the Reconstruction and Development coalition and join a group of independent lawmakers opposed to quota-based politics. They said a new national bloc would be announced shortly, built around a reform platform they described as representative of Iraqis' aspirations and committed to citizens' rights, the rule of law, and strong state institutions.
Both blocs reaffirmed their commitment to the founding principles of the Coordination Framework —the broad Shiite political alliance that backs the federal government— and said their move was motivated by a desire to preserve national unity and serve Iraq's broader interests.
Shafaq News was unable to reach the Reconstruction and Development coalition for comment on the accusations contained in the statement.
The withdrawal comes a day after Iraq's Council of Representatives voted Thursday to grant confidence to the Zaidi government and its ministerial platform, approving 14 ministers while deferring nine ministerial portfolios until after the Eid al-Adha holiday amid political disagreements and a US warning against including armed factions in the new cabinet lineup.
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