President Barzani welcomes Al-Maliki’s PM nomination

Shafaq News– Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday congratulated Nouri Al-Maliki after the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) selected him as its nominee for Iraq’s prime minister.

According to a statement from the Kurdish presidency, during a phone call, Barzani expressed hope that the next government will be able to address the “country’s challenges” and reflect “the aspirations of all Iraqi citizens.” For his part, Al-Maliki hailed Barzani for the outreach.

سه‌رۆك نێچيرڤان بارزانى پيرۆزبايى له‌ به‌ڕێز نوورى ئه‌لماليكى ده‌كاتhttps://t.co/Q2o6tfrlDk pic.twitter.com/kf3xZmmF8J

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) January 25, 2026

On Saturday, the CF, an umbrella alliance of Shiite parties holding more than 185 seats in Iraq’s 329-member parliament, selected Al-Maliki as its candidate for the premiership. Al-Maliki, whose SLC secured 29 seats in the recent parliamentary elections, previously led two governments between 2006 and 2014.

Based on the Iraqi constitution, appointing a new premier does not require a parliamentary vote. The upcoming Iraqi President, elected by a two-thirds parliamentary majority, will assign the nominee of the largest bloc (Coordination Framework) to form a government.

Read more: Nouri Al-Maliki: A name that still divides and tests the politics of memory