Iraqi Shia alliance picks Nouri al-Maliki as PM nominee
Iraqi former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki is on the verge of a return to power after being nominated as the country’s next premier by an alliance of Shia political blocs that hold a majority in parliament.
The Shia Coordination Framework said on Saturday that it had picked al-Maliki, leader of the Islamic Dawa Party, as its nominee for the post based on his “political and administrative experience and his role in managing the state.”
The bloc said the nomination had been made by majority vote after an in-depth and extensive discussion, naming al-Maliki as the candidate of the framework.
The Coordination Framework reaffirmed its full commitment to the constitutional path, stressing its readiness to work with all national political forces to form a strong and effective government capable of confronting challenges, delivering services, and safeguarding Iraq’s security and unity.
A central figure in Iraq’s politics, the 75-year-old first became prime minister in 2006, as the country appeared to be unravelling amid a wave of violence unleashed by the United States-led invasion of 2003.
He stepped down after the Daesh terrorist group seized large parts of the country in 2014, but has remained an influential political player, leading the State of Law coalition.
The politician spent nearly a quarter of a century in exile after campaigning against the governance of former dictator Saddam Hussein, but returned to Iraq in the wake of the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The nomination of al-Maliki came amid reports that the United States has threatened Iraqi officials that it could impose financial sanctions targeting the Iraqi state, including potentially restricting its access to vital oil revenues, if certain political factions were included in the next government, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters recently.
Sources said the US has warned that the inclusion of a group of 58 MPs targeted by Washington would lead to a suspension of diplomatic engagement and halting of dollar transfers.
Iraq, one of the top oil producers in the West Asia region, maintains its oil revenues in a Central Bank account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.