Iraq’s CF weighs Al-Maliki nomination under US pressure
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Leaders of Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) held internal meetings Thursday to align positions ahead of a broader session next week, as divisions persist over nominating former prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki amid mounting US pressure.
Sources within the alliance told Shafaq News that three key issues will dominate the upcoming meeting, including urging parliament to set a date to elect a president. Kurdish parties are not expected to formally reveal their candidate until the voting session.
Under the proposed sequence, the Framework would present its nominee for prime minister one week after the president is elected, followed by a parliamentary session to announce the designation and begin government formation.
Another source said the bloc could still opt for an alternative candidate from the list under consideration, depending on political calculations and regional dynamics.
Earlier this week, a senior Framework official told Shafaq News the alliance had secured an extension to a US deadline related to withdrawing Al-Maliki’s nomination, adding that Al-Maliki has refused to step aside voluntarily, arguing that only the two-thirds majority that nominated him can rescind the decision.
The Framework, which groups Iraq’s main ruling Shiite factions, is split over Al-Maliki’s candidacy. Washington has strongly opposed to his return, with US envoy Tom Barrack conveying the American position during a recent visit to Baghdad. President Donald Trump has also publicly criticized Al-Maliki’s previous tenure as prime minister from 2006 to 2014, and US pressure has intensified in recent weeks. CF formally nominated Al-Maliki on January 24, 2026, with majority backing from its components.
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