PM al-Sudani at MEPS 2025: second term is an electoral mandate, not a personal ambition
Shafaq News – Duhok
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Tuesday signaled readiness to lead the next government, saying a second term would reflect an electoral mandate rather than a personal pursuit, after his Reconstruction and Development (al-Ima’ar wal-Tanmiya) bloc won the highest number of votes in the sixth parliamentary elections.
Speaking at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS 2025) in Duhok, al-Sudani said election outcomes have not historically been the decisive factor in forming governments, noting that his bloc is a core component of the Coordination Framework, which “met yesterday and agreed to form the largest parliamentary bloc,” paving the way for consultations with other parties on meeting constitutional timelines and selecting the three presidencies.
Al-Sudani said his willingness to seek a second term stems from a readiness “to carry responsibility,” complete ongoing projects, and build on what he described as tangible achievements. He argued that his bloc’s electoral lead gives it a legitimate mandate to guide the next phase.
On the timeline for forming a new cabinet, al-Sudani said political forces are committed to constitutional deadlines, pointing to the smooth, secure conduct of the elections and the lack of major complaints — factors he said could speed up consensus.
Responding to Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani’s criticism of Iraq’s electoral law as “unfair,” al-Sudani supports maintaining a stable legal framework rather than drafting a new law for each election.
He acknowledged flaws in the current system, including wasted votes, noting that his coalition’s 1.317 million votes were not proportionally reflected in its seat count, calling on the new parliament to debate an electoral law that better reflects voter preferences and reduces vote loss.
The MEPS 2025 forum, held from November 17–19 at the American University of Kurdistan, convened regional leaders, diplomats, and academics under the theme: “Managed Chaos – A New Middle East?” Now in its sixth edition, the forum is co-hosted with Cambridge University, the Atlantic Council, Carnegie’s Crisis Response Council, and the London School of Economics.
