Former PM Nouri Al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition
Coordination Framework reaffirms support for Maliki as PM candidate
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Coordination Framework announced Saturday that it remains committed to nominating Nouri al-Maliki for the post of prime minister, stressing that selecting the head of government is an internal constitutional matter carried out without external influence.
In a statement, the Coordination Framework said it held its regular meeting “in the office of Mr. al-Maliki on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, to discuss the latest developments.”
The group said that “the choice of the prime minister is a purely Iraqi constitutional matter,” adding that it is made “according to the mechanisms of the political process, taking into account the national interest and away from external dictates.” The statement renewed its support for “its candidate, Mr. Nouri al-Maliki, for the post of prime minister.”
The remarks came amid reference to comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he would not cooperate with Iraq if al-Maliki returned to office.
The Coordination Framework said it is keen on “building balanced relations with the international community, particularly with influential international powers; relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.”
It added that “Iraq is a state of institutions capable of managing its political entitlements in accordance with the constitution and the will of the representatives of its people.”
Sources reported the absence of Ammar al-Hakim from the meeting. Al-Hakim had previously announced his opposition to al-Maliki’s nomination.
Al-Maliki on Saturday called for “respect” for the will of the Iraqi people. He said, “The outcomes of successive elections confirm that the Iraqi people and their institutions responsible for building the state have drawn inspiration from the meanings of democracy, freedom and political partnership. From this standpoint, we affirm that we will not abandon this achievement, and we will not forfeit the right of the Iraqi people to choose whom they trust and see as competent to lead the next stage.”
Al-Maliki 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 the Islamic State group.
Iraq held parliamentary elections on Nov. 11, 2025, in which voters elected the 329 members of the Council of Representatives, the country’s legislature. Following the elections, the Shiite Coordination Framework declared itself the largest political bloc in parliament, a status that allows it to nominate a candidate for prime minister, and announced Nouri al-Maliki as its nominee.