CF signals two-week window to settle Iraq’s PM race
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework (CF)—the largest bloc in parliament—has set a maximum 14-day deadline to finalize its nominee for prime minister, a CF official revealed on Monday, as post-election negotiations formally enter the constitutional phase.
Aqeel Al-Rudaini, spokesperson for the Al-Nasr (Victory) Coalition led by former Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, told Shafaq News that a CF meeting scheduled for later in the day would not decide the prime ministerial candidate. He stressed, however, that the alliance intends to settle the nomination “within two weeks at most.”
Al-Rudaini further described the Framework as committed to respecting constitutional timelines and forming the next government within the legally mandated periods.
Meanwhile, State of Law Coalition (SLC) lawmaker Ibtisam Al-Hilali told our agency that the meeting would review the Framework’s political engagement with other forces over candidates for parliament speaker and president.
Discussions, Al-Hilali confirmed, would also include names under consideration for the premiership, noting that five figures are viewed as leading contenders, including SLC leader Nouri Al-Maliki.
On December 14, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court ratified the final results of the parliamentary elections, a step that formally opens the path for the next legislative term. Under the constitution, parliament must elect a speaker and two deputies within 15 days of ratification. The president must then be elected within 30 days of the first parliamentary session, followed by the designation of a prime minister within 15 days. The prime minister-designate is required to form a cabinet within 30 days.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the premiership is allocated to a Shiite Arab, the speakership to a Sunni Arab, and the presidency to a Kurd. Sunni political forces have narrowed the race for parliament speaker to a small group of contenders, with Muthanna Al-Samarrai widely described as the frontrunner.
Read more: New term, new battle: Six candidates chase Iraq’s speakership
Within the Shiite camp, the CF has shortlisted three candidates for prime minister, identifying caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Al-Abadi as leading contenders, alongside a third figure described by political sources as a potential surprise.
Read more: Five contenders eye Iraq's top post: PM selection looms
The presidency has most often gone to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), while the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) holds the presidency of the Kurdistan Region. Disputes between the two Kurdish parties over the post have, in previous political cycles, delayed government formation.
Read more: Stronger at the ballot box, weaker at the table: Kurdistan enters 2026 talks divided
