CF to name Iraqi PM soon, warns US against interference

Shafaq News – Baghdad

The Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), Iraq’s largest bloc, is finalizing a policy document to guide the formation of the next government, as one of its leaders warned the US not to interfere.

A political source told Shafaq News on Sunday that Framework parties will convene on December 8 to complete the list of “conditions and demands” before presenting it to other blocs as the foundation for a consensus-based cabinet under Iraq’s power-sharing system. The meeting is also expected to determine the CF’s nominee for prime minister, although the name will remain undisclosed until parallel agreements are reached on the presidency and speakership.

According to the source, the document lays out the new cabinet’s structure, strategic goals, and four-year program, and introduces a formula for allocating ministries based on each party’s political weight and parliamentary seats. It also defines internal mechanisms for decision-making among CF members and sets expectations for collective governance.

Read more: Iraq's new parliament: No bloc can impose, none can be ignored

A senior CF leader, the source added, recently warned the US administration against interfering in the process or exerting pressure over the premiership, calling instead for a “genuine partnership.”

The Framework initially required the next prime minister to be politically unaffiliated and not the leader of any party or bloc. Those restrictions were later relaxed, a political source told Shafaq News at the time, noting that the original terms also barred anyone who had previously held or run for the post, or who headed an independent party or faction.

Leading contenders still under review include caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, State of Law head Nouri Al-Maliki, Accountability and Justice Commission chief Basim Al-Badri, and Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani, while intelligence director Hamid Al-Shatri is expected to be dropped.

Read more: Five contenders eye Iraq's top post: PM selection looms

Under Iraq’s power-sharing system, the premiership goes to a Shia figure, the speakership to a Sunni, and the presidency to a Kurd. With 148 of parliament’s 329 seats, the CF remains pivotal in shaping all three appointments.