Iraqi politician Baha Al-Araji
Sudani ally Baha al-Araji backs Maliki nomination, urges focus on ‘national priorities’
BAGHDAD — Iraqi politician Baha al-Araji, who is close to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, voiced support Saturday for the reported nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for a third term, calling for national interests to take precedence over political rivalry.
Al-Araji said the move reflects coordination between al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition and al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition, both operating within the Shiite Coordination Framework.
“The important thing today is to achieve progress and serve the higher national interests without getting caught up in rivalry,” al-Araji wrote in a post on social media.
He said cooperation between the two coalitions was based on “complementary roles and unified efforts” within the framework, adding that the aim was to turn political understanding into a firm agreement capable of addressing current challenges.
His comments came as the Coordination Framework said Saturday it held a regular meeting to continue discussions on forming the next government and naming a prime minister. In a statement, the bloc said the meeting was marked by “positive atmospheres and responsible discussions” that led to “important developments and advanced indicators in line with political stability and the country’s supreme interest,” without naming a nominee.
Reports circulating the same day suggested al-Sudani had agreed to step aside in favor of al-Maliki, though neither al-Sudani nor the Coordination Framework has officially confirmed that claim.
Al-Maliki served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014. He secured a second term after the 2010 election but stepped down in 2014 under intense domestic and international pressure following the collapse of Iraqi army positions and the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State group.
In the Nov. 11, 2025 parliamentary election, al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition won 46 seats, ahead of al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition with 29. Despite leading as a single list, al-Sudani did not secure dominance within the Coordination Framework, which later declared itself the largest bloc in parliament, giving it the constitutional right to nominate the next prime minister.