Will Iraq’s Shia bloc overcome obstacles to pick the next PM?
Summary
Iraqi Shia parties have five days left to choose a new prime minister and end a political crisis that has lasted over five months after elections. The largest Shia bloc, the Coordination Framework, is struggling to agree on a candidate amid internal conflicts and pressure from both Iran and the United States.Key Facts
- Iraq must name a prime minister by Sunday according to its constitution.
- The Coordination Framework holds 185 of 329 seats in parliament, making it the largest bloc.
- The bloc previously nominated Nouri al-Maliki, who has close ties to Iran, but faced threats from US President Donald Trump if al-Maliki returned.
- Internal disagreements exist mainly between the Hikma Movement and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq within the Coordination Framework.
- Two prime minister candidates have been nominated recently: Bassem al-Badry and Ihsan al-Awadi.
- Bassem al-Badry is favored by some as he has more support compared to Ihsan al-Awadi.
- Iraq’s power-sharing system assigns the prime minister role to a Shia Arab, the president to a Kurd, and the parliament speaker to a Sunni.
- Visits by Iranian and US officials have influenced but not resolved the political stalemate.
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