Former PM Nouri Al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition
Dawa Party nominates Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister
BAGHDAD — The Islamic Dawa Party on Saturday named its secretary-general, Nouri al-Maliki, as its candidate for Iraq’s next prime minister, moving formally into the post-election contest for the premiership.
In a brief statement, the party said, “The Shura Council of the Islamic Dawa Party unanimously decided to nominate the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party as the party’s candidate for the position of prime minister.”
Maliki previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014. He secured a second term in 2010 but stepped down in 2014 under intense domestic and international pressure after the collapse of army defenses and the fall of Mosul to ISIS.
In an interview with Shams TV, Maliki said forming a new government will hinge on political consensus and could be achieved within a month after the final results are certified. “The Coordination Framework has set specific characteristics and conditions for the next prime minister,” he said.
Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission released the final results of the Nov. 11 parliamentary elections on Monday, confirming turnout above 56 percent and detailing the distribution of all 329 seats. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition finished first with 46 seats, followed by Maliki’s State of Law Coalition with 29.
Al-Sudani has also declared his intention to seek a second term. Speaking at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum in Duhok, he said the bid “is not a personal ambition” and framed it as a commitment to complete the agenda of his current government, while confirming that the Coordination Framework will begin negotiations to form the next administration.