Ammar Al-Hakim: Trump’s Al-Maliki veto is unfortunate
Shafaq News– Baghdad
The recent remarks of US President Donald Trump opposing former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s bid to become Iraq's next premier are ‘’unfortunate’’, Ammar Al-Hakim, head of the National Wisdom (Al-Hikma) Movement, said on Saturday.
Speaking at Baghdad's Diwan, Al-Hakim warned that the remarks could trigger serious economic repercussions for Iraq, urging the country's political leaders to place national interests above all.
"Al-Hikma does not operate on obstruction or political pressure," he noted, stressing the importance of respecting constitutional timelines in electing the President and nominating the country’s next premier.
Trump has publicly rejected Al-Maliki’s bid to form the next Iraqi government, arguing that during his previous tenure, Iraq descended into poverty and chaos, and that his return “should not be allowed to happen again.”
Earlier, three sources told Shafaq News that the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest parliamentary bloc to which both Al-Maliki and Al-Hakim belong, conducted consultative meetings following Trump’s remarks, exposing internal divisions over both Al-Maliki’s candidacy and how to respond to US pressure. One camp supports maintaining backing for Al-Maliki as a matter of sovereignty, while another urged considering an alternative candidate to prevent domestic friction and potential diplomatic fallout.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 political system, the presidency is traditionally held by a Kurd, the premiership by a Shiite, and the speakership by a Sunni.
Read more: Nouri Al-Maliki’s return rekindles Iraq’s divisions as Iran and the US pull apart
