CF awaits court ruling to resolve presidency and premiership dispute
Shafaq News- Baghdad
The Coordination Framework, the coalition of Iraq’s ruling Shiite forces, is awaiting the Federal Supreme Court’s response on constitutional deadline violations and their consequences to determine an ending scenario to resolve the dispute over the presidency and premiership, a source within the CF told Shafaq News on Tuesday.
“The closest proposal under discussion is to extend the term of the current caretaker government headed by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for six months with limited powers,” the source added, noting that a delegation from the Reconstruction and Development bloc visited leaders of the Shiite political camp last week to discuss the causes of the political impasse and ways to overcome it. The discussions concluded on the need to avoid consequences resulting from nominating a controversial candidate at a time of significant national challenges, “taking into account messages from Washington and its warning of potential economic sanctions targeting the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) and the Central Bank of Iraq.”
Meanwhile, Abbas al-Moussawi, a senior member of the State of Law Coalition (SLC) led by Nouri Al-Maliki, reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to nominating Al-Maliki for the post of prime minister in the next Iraqi government, stressing that any change must occur exclusively through consensus within the Coordination Framework.
Earlier, a source informed Shafaq News that Al-Maliki rejects reports of a potential withdrawal from the race for Iraq’s premiership, noting that no meeting of the CF was scheduled to reassess his nomination.
The Coordination Framework, representing more than 185 of Iraq’s 329 parliamentary seats, had nominated Al-Maliki as its candidate for prime minister; he previously led two governments from 2006 to 2014.
US President Donald Trump has publicly opposed Al-Maliki’s potential return to office, asserting that Iraq would have “zero chance of success, prosperity, or freedom” under his administration and warning that Washington “will no longer help Iraq” if he is chosen.
