Pressure is intensifying on Iraq’s largest Shiite parliamentary bloc, the Co-ordination Framework, to submit its nominee for prime minister before the constitutional deadline expires ion Sunday.
Iraqi President Nizar Amedi and key bloc leaders are calling for urgent action to avert a political vacuum.
Mr Amedi stressed the need to adhere to constitutional timetables, calling the nomination of the largest bloc’s candidate “a constitutional entitlement that cannot be delayed” and “a national responsibility borne by all”.
“We affirm the necessity of adhering to constitutional timelines in presenting the candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc, as this is a constitutional obligation that cannot be delayed and a national responsibility that falls on everyone,” the President said.
“Expediting this process strengthens political stability, ensures the regular functioning of institutions, and responds to citizens’ aspirations for a government able to perform its duties and serve their interests, especially amid a sensitive situation that requires prioritising the country’s supreme interests.”
The call comes as the Co-ordination Framework, which holds the single-largest bloc of seats after November’s elections, is facing increasing pressure from Washington. US officials have warned senior Iraqi leaders that they would not tolerate a pro-Iran government in which militia members sit.
Iraq's post-election situation has become more complicated with the strengthening of pro-Iran blocs, giving them significant parliamentary influence.
The main nominees to become prime minister are Nouri Al Maliki, who held the role before but has been rejected by Washington because of his ties to Tehran and its proxies. Current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani could also be asked to continue in the role. Other compromise candidates are being considered.
Addressing youth elites at his Baghdad Diwan, National State Forces Alliance leader Ammar Al Hakim said Iraq is passing through “exceptional circumstances regionally and internationally”.
Mr Al Hakim acknowledged that Iraq’s pluralistic parliamentary system “faces difficulty in decision-making and relies on understandings between blocs”, his office said.
The Co-ordination Framework “has presented more than one personality and more than one candidate through more than one mechanism”, he added, before stressing “an urgent need today” to reach consensus on the nominee within the remaining constitutional period.
He warned that Iraq is “greatly harmed by regional escalation due to its economy’s link to oil exports”, renewing calls to diversify export routes to avoid further financial losses.
He also called for restoring Iraq’s regional role through openness based on mutual interests, and rebuilding political and media discourse towards its neighbours.
The stand-off comes after US President Donald Trump’s administration renewed pressure on Baghdad. The US has de facto control over Iraq’s oil revenue since 2003, giving it significant leverage, as Iraq’s economy runs on oil sales in US dollars. Washington has imposed sanctions on several Iran-aligned militia commanders and announced bounties on others for attacks on US personnel.
With the Strait of Hormuz closed, Iraq’s exports have collapsed from around 3.5 million barrels per day to an estimated 300,000, raising fears of public sector salary payments not being met.
As Sunday’s deadline nears, the Co-ordination Framework has yet to announce even one nominee. Failure to meet the constitutional timetable could deepen Iraq’s political crisis, adding to the economic and security shocks.
