Agreement on new prime minister nears, decision expected soon

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The ongoing talks to select a new prime minister have led to “important understandings” to resolve disputes, Amer al-Fayez, a senior figure in Iraq’s Coordination Framework (CF), told Shafaq News on Thursday, expecting a decision about this issue within hours.

The negotiations among political forces have made progress toward narrowing differences, he added.

According to multiple political sources cited by Shafaq News, preliminary agreements include the distribution of key ministries such as oil, education, higher education, defense, finance, electricity, and foreign affairs, based on the size and influence of parliamentary blocs.

Abdulrahman al-Jazaeri, head of the political body of the Tribal National Movement, affirmed to Shafaq News that alternative scenarios are being considered if consensus fails. “These include a constitutional appointment by the president, referring the issue to the Federal Supreme Court, or forming an emergency government,” he explained.

The CF had initially scheduled a decisive meeting last Saturday to finalize its nominee, but postponed it to Monday. The meeting ended without agreement and was delayed again to Wednesday, before being rescheduled once more for Friday.

Read more: The Shiite Coordination Framework: Can govern Iraq, but cannot agree on a prime minister