US message to Iraq’s Marjai’a: Washington not backing any PM candidate
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The United States has conveyed a message to Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, the Marjai’a, stating that Washington is not backing any candidate for prime minister and is not intervening in the country’s government formation process, a senior figure in the Shiite Coordination Framework said on Saturday.
Abdulrahman Al-Jazaeri told Shafaq News that the message was delivered to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani through an intermediary and emphasized that the United States considers the selection of Iraq’s next prime minister an internal matter.
According to Al-Jazaeri, the message stressed “respect for the religious authority’s position and for the will of the Iraqi people.”
The message came amid intensified political negotiations in Baghdad over the formation of the next government following parliamentary elections, with rival blocs seeking to secure a consensus on key posts.
In recent weeks, several US officials have separately addressed Iraqi leaders, focusing on the need for political stability and the management of armed groups, prompting debate among Iraqi factions over the extent of American involvement. US Special Envoy Mark Savaya said Washington would reject any “outside interference” in shaping Iraq’s next government.
Republican Congressman Joe Wilson also weighed in publicly, saying he looked forward to working with US officials on Iraq policy under President Donald Trump, comments that drew mixed reactions across Iraq’s political spectrum.
A senior Coordination Framework leader, speaking to Shafaq News on condition of anonymity, said the issue of nominating a prime minister would only be addressed after parliament elects its speaker and two deputies, in line with the constitutional order of government formation. He added that five figures are currently being discussed as potential candidates, including caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, several former prime ministers, and National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji.
Under Iraq’s constitution, government formation begins with parliament electing its speaker and deputies, followed by the election of the president, who then assigns the nominee of the largest bloc to form a cabinet within set deadlines. Parliamentary approval of both the cabinet and its program is required, reflecting Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system in which key positions are agreed through consensus among Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish blocs.
Read more: Iraq’s Parliament Speakership vote: Stress test ahead of Dec. 29
