Iraqi ruling bloc nears decision on next PM
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest parliamentary bloc, could nominate Iraq’s next prime minister at its upcoming meeting on December 22, an official revealed on Wednesday.
Aqeel Al-Rudaini, spokesperson for the Al-Nasr (Victory) Coalition led by former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, told Shafaq News that mounting economic pressures linked to the global drop in oil prices, worsening water shortages, unresolved issues related to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and external challenge “require the next prime minister to have strong experience in foreign relations.”
Earlier this week, the CF called for a parliamentary session to elect the speaker and the parliamentary presidium after failing to reach agreement on government formation.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid set December 29 as the date for the first session of Iraq’s new parliament.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the premiership is allocated to a Shia nominee, the speakership to a Sunni figure, and the presidency to a Kurdish candidate.
The CF has shortlisted three candidates for the premiership—caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Al-Abadi, and a third undisclosed contender—according to Al-Nasr spokesperson Salam Al-Zubaidi.
Read more: Five contenders eye Iraq's top post: PM selection looms
Iraq’s constitution sets strict deadlines for forming state institutions once election results are ratified. The president must convene parliament within 15 days to elect the speaker and deputies, followed by the election of the president within 30 days, after which the prime minister-designate is tasked with forming the government.
Read more: Iraq begins 90-day countdown to form government as political fault lines re-emerge
