30 Iraqi lawmakers threaten to quit Al-Sudani bloc over Al-Awadi PM bid

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Thirty lawmakers from caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development bloc have threatened to withdraw if Ihsan Al-Awadi is nominated for prime minister, a source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

Al-Awadi, director of Al-Sudani’s office, faces competition from Bassem Al-Badri, who is a member of former PM Nouri Al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition.

The Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest bloc in parliament, had failed to agree on a candidate in meetings on April 18 and 20, delaying a decision until today. Sources told our agency that rival camps aligned with Al-Sudani and Al-Maliki are now weighing competing voting mechanisms to select a candidate.

Parliament elected Nizar Amedi as president on April 11, triggering the process to nominate a prime minister. The CF has 15 days to name its candidate, who then has 30 days to form a government and win parliamentary confidence under Article 76 of the constitution.

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