Al-Maliki vows to withdraw candidacy if requested by the CF

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The leader of the State of Law Coalition and the Coordination Framework’s (CF) nominee for Iraq’s next prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, announced on Tuesday his readiness to relinquish his candidacy should the majority within the CF request it.

In an interview with Al-Sharqiya TV, Al-Maliki emphasized that he would not withdraw under pressure from any foreign entity, claiming that US President Donald Trump had been “misled about his bid for a third term by three foreign countries and domestic actors.”

Al-Maliki further stated that he was confident a social media post by Trump concerning his candidacy was authored within Iraq.

Trump has publicly rejected Al-Maliki’s bid to form the next Iraqi government, arguing that during his previous tenure, Iraq descended into poverty and chaos, and that his return “should not be allowed to happen again.”

Addressing concerns about potential economic repercussions, he asserted that his nomination would not subject Iraq to sanctions. Al-Maliki  described such assertions as tactics aimed at compelling him to abandon his prime ministerial bid. 

Earlier, the CF renewed its support for Nouri al-Maliki as its candidate for prime minister, stressing that the selection of Iraq’s head of government is an internal process free from external interference. “Choosing a prime minister is a purely Iraqi constitutional matter carried out through political mechanisms that serve national interests and away from foreign dictates,” the CF said in a statement after a meeting at al-Maliki’s house, adding that it seeks to build “balanced” relations with the international community, particularly influential global powers, based on mutual respect and non-interference in Iraq’s internal affairs. 

Under Iraq’s post-2003 political system, the presidency is traditionally held by a Kurd, the premiership by a Shiite, and the speakership by a Sunni.