The pro-Iran Coordination Framework in Iraq is likely to engage in prolonged negotiations over the appointment of a new prime minister despite its assertions that the process will remain within constitutional deadlines.
The alliance, which had named incumbent PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for his first term in office, is faced with internal divisions that may hamper its efforts to reach consensus on a single candidate.
Meanwhile, the Construction and Development coalition, headed by Sudani, said it was backing his run for a second term in office.
Following a meeting on Tuesday, the coalition said it is committed to constitutional deadlines tied to the formation of a new government.
The government’s political, economic and security policies must be up to the major challenges facing Iraq, it added.
It reiterated its backing for Sudani to be reappointed to his position for a second term “given his successful first term at the head of the executive authority.” It noted that the coalition forms the largest bloc within the Coordination Framework and won the greatest number of seats during last month’s parliamentary elections.
Some five to six figures are in contention for the position of prime minister. Some sources have said the figure is actually higher. The top candidates are Sudani, former PM Nouri al-Maliki and Abdul-Hussein Abtan.
Sudani and Maliki notably are opposed to each other’s appointment to the post.
At the moment, the Coordination Framework is “testing the waters” with various religious and Kurdish and Sunni political powers to garner their opinion over the current candidates.
The sources added that the Framework is eager to learn the stances of the highest Shiite religious authority in Najaf, as well as Sadrist movement leader cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on the candidates.
A source close to the Framework remarked, however, that the authority in Najaf and Sadr are unlikely to become involved in the process of naming a prime minister, in contrast to the Kurdish and Sunni powers who are invested in it.
The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the current divisions and disputes within the Framework over a candidate are “very normal” and the Shiite powers have encountered similar difficulties before.
It did not rule out the possibility that the divisions will persist until after the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq ratifies the results of the elections that is expected within days.
The Framework will then be truly tested over how serious it is in overcoming its differences within the constitutional deadline to name a prime minister, it added.
Following the ratification of the results, the new parliament will convene to name its speaker and his deputy. The MPs will then elect a new president, who after 15 days after the election, will task the prime minister to form a new government. The PM is typically named by the largest parliamentary bloc, currently held by the Framework.
The coalition held a meeting on Monday for its top leaders, including Sudani and Maliki, stressing that it was committed to meeting constitutional deadlines in cooperation with partners in the political process.
