Shia, Sunni, Kurds call for Inclusive Iraqi Government

[Anthea]

Who will be Iraq’s next prime minister?

Negotiations for the post of Iraq’s next prime minister are heating up nearly a month after the election

Inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, discussions over the post have centered within the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework, an umbrella group of most of Iraq’s Shiite parties. Former prime minister and leader of the Islamic Dawa Party Nouri al-Maliki has positioned himself as a leading contender, following an early visit to Erbil where he met Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani.

At Dawa headquarters, Maliki’s adviser Abbas al-Musawi told Rudaw’s Hevidar Ahmed that his party believes the next prime minister “requires a personality like Maliki who possesses vision and wisdom.”

“Maliki is one of those mountainous figures who does not submit to pressure,” he said, adding that the majority within the Coordination Framework supports his nomination.

Maliki’s main rival appears to be the incumbent, Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, but Musawi said Sudani’s experience “was not reassuring for most of the Iraqi people,” citing financial concerns and debt.

Iraq held its parliamentary elections on November 11. Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition (RDC) emerged as the frontrunner with 46 seats in the 329-member parliament. Maliki’s coalition, the State of Law, won 29 seats, and the KDP took 26.

Maliki is not the only Shiite figure to visit Erbil during the negotiations. Rudaw has learned that intelligence chief Hamid al-Shatri and leader of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Falih al-Fayyadh also visited the Kurdish capital.

Senior KDP official Hoshyar Zebari confirmed the visits. “Our door is constantly open,” Zebari said, adding that political engagements “will get even hotter.”

He predicted that forming the next government will be a challenge as there are differing positions within the Shiite parties, but said that the KDP will not offer unconditional support: “We do not sign a blank paper for anyone… It will be with rights and calculations.”

The KDP insists on its constitutional and political rights, he said.

On Baghdad’s famed literary al-Mutanabbi Street, Iraqis debated the characteristics the next prime minister should have.

The leader of the country must simply be “a good human being,” said writer Ali Allaq.

Khalid Sufi, another writer, said the future prime minister “should be civil and secular” and committed to “building the state.”

Karim Baghdadi, an engineer, said the prime minister “should fear God.”

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/041220253

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Iraq disqualifies 6 elected lawmakers
ahead of results ratification

Iraq’s electoral body said Sunday it has excluded six candidates who had won parliamentary seats in the November legislative ballot, including a former governor, adding that the final election results are expected to be ratified by the country’s top judicial authority “within two days.”

The state-run Iraqiya News channel quoted Hassan Salman, the legal advisor at the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), as stating that the "number of candidates who have been excluded post the elections until this moment has reached about six candidates," pointing to “real changes in the results.”

He added that some electoral lists “lost seats that had been allocated to them following the exclusion of winning candidates,” and revealed a shift in the women’s quota in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province, where “the quota seat moved from one list to another.”

Earlier on Sunday, two IHEC officials told Rudaw that the disqualifications also affected prominent Sunni Arab politician Najm al-Jabouri, despite his having secured 39,464 votes in the November ballot.

Jumana al-Ghalai, the IHEC spokesperson, and Hayman Tahsin, head of the commission’s political parties affairs department, confirmed to Rudaw that Jabouri was disqualified over perceived links to the former Baath regime.

Jabouri served as governor of Iraq’s northern Nineveh province from 2019 to 2023. He resigned after being barred from running in the most recent local elections due to the same allegations regarding his past links to the Baath regime.

In a phone interview late Sunday, Jabouri told Rudaw that he “had not received any notification or official letter regarding the exclusion decision” as of the time of the call.

He further declined to issue an official statement, saying only, “All I know about the matter is what the media is reporting, and I do not have any official information to base a position or statement on at this time.”

Also on Sunday, speaking to state media, Imad Jamil, head of the Commission’s media team, said the IHEC’s Board of Commissioners “will submit the election results to the Federal Supreme Court for ratification within the next two days.”

Earlier in the day, the Electoral Judicial Panel - an affiliate of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, the highest administrative authority overseeing the ordinary judiciary - announced that it has “concluded the review of all appeals submitted regarding the election results,” adding that “the number of appeals reached 853.”

Iraq held its early legislative ballot on November 9, followed by the general vote on November 11. The final results were announced in mid-November, coinciding with the deadline for political parties and candidates to submit appeals.

According to the IHEC, voter turnout exceeded 55 percent, surpassing expectations and marking a significant increase from the 41 percent recorded in the October 2021 elections.

Notably, turnout in the Kurdistan Region reached nearly 74 percent.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/071220253

[Anthea]

Shia to Decide Iraq PM Nomination

Iraq’s Shia Coordination Framework is preparing to hold a decisive meeting on Monday in an effort to prevent any legal vacuum and speed up the political process, as blocs move to settle the issue of nominating the country’s next prime minister without delay

According to information obtained by local media, the leadership of the Coordination Framework plans to use the early-week meeting to resolve all remaining differences and issue a final decision on the premiership, aiming to conclude this phase swiftly and keep the political timetable on track.

Abdul Amir al-Mayahi, a senior figure within the alliance, said the core demand of Shia forces is strict adherence to constitutional deadlines, stressing that no obstacles should be allowed to delay either the formation of the next cabinet or the designation of a prime minister.

Political momentum is currently tilting in favor of renewing the mandate of Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, with the Construction and Development Alliance throwing its full weight behind his continuation in office.

The alliance is engaged in ongoing talks with other political partners to pave the way for Sudani’s stay, arguing that his reappointment represents the best option to complete the government program he launched.

Leaders within the framework have also emphasized the need for all political agreements to be implemented within their specified timelines, underscoring concerns that any delay could deepen uncertainty at a sensitive moment for the country.

These fast-paced political moves come as Iraq navigates a delicate political and economic period, with major factions seeking to preserve government stability and prevent renewed paralysis.

Sudani, who has led the government during the current term, is emerging as the strongest candidate, particularly as a large segment of the Coordination Framework — along with some international actors — view his continuation as a guarantor for the progress of service projects and the maintenance of security stability.

A resolution of the premiership issue at Monday’s meeting could mark the beginning of a new phase of governance in Iraq.

The Shia Coordination Framework is an umbrella alliance of major Shiite political forces that plays a decisive role in government formation in post-2003 Iraq. It was instrumental in backing Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s appointment as prime minister in October 2022 following months of political deadlock after parliamentary elections.

Sudani’s government has focused on service delivery, economic reforms, and balancing Iraq’s relations with regional and international partners. As constitutional timelines loom, political actors are seeking to avoid a repeat of past stalemates that have delayed cabinet formation and disrupted governance.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/901549

[Anthea]

Iraq Decides Next Prime Minister

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework is set to convene on Monday, in a critical meeting aimed at unifying its position on a single candidate for the post of prime minister, as parallel negotiations continue among Sunni and Kurdish political blocs over other senior state positions

According to sources within the Shiite Coordination Framework, the meeting will focus on narrowing differences and agreeing on a consensus nominee for the premiership.

If a final agreement cannot be reached on one name, three candidates will be put forward for an internal vote, with one ultimately selected through balloting.

Among the leading contenders is incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who is widely viewed as the frontrunner. His “Reconstruction and Development” alliance has formally endorsed him, although sources say he has yet to secure full consensus from all factions within the framework.

The selection of Iraq’s next prime minister has dominated internal discussions within the Shiite Coordination Framework for months. Previous meetings resulted in the establishment of criteria for candidates, emphasizing administrative competence, integrity, and the ability to manage state institutions effectively.

A specialized committee has also been formed to assess nominees, with a preliminary list reportedly ranging from four to nine candidates.

A senior figure within the framework said political forces are keen to finalize the prime ministerial nominee before the end of the constitutional timeframe, raising the possibility that an official announcement could emerge from Monday’s meeting.

These Shiite deliberations come amid intensified talks among Sunni political forces, who in recent weeks have held a series of meetings to agree on a unified candidate for the speaker of parliament.

Sunni blocs, fragmented since the last electoral cycle, are seeking to avoid internal competition by rallying around a consensus figure capable of securing broad parliamentary backing and reasserting Sunni influence in the legislative branch.

At the same time, Iraq’s Kurdish political landscape has seen renewed coordination between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The two ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region have held multiple meetings to discuss the formation of the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet, alongside negotiations over a joint Kurdish position on the federal presidency of Iraq.

The presidency, traditionally held by a Kurdish figure, remains a key bargaining chip in the wider government-formation process in Baghdad.

Under Iraq’s political roadmap, agreement must first be reached on the speaker of parliament, followed by the election of the president. The president then formally tasks a nominee with forming the next federal government.

Confirmed seat results (final and certified):

- Reconstruction and Development Coalition (RDC), led by PM Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani: 46 seats — the most of any coalition.

- State of Law Coalition (Nouri al-Maliki): 29 seats.

- Sadiqoun Bloc led by Qais al-Khazali (head of the Asaib Ahl al-Haqq militia): 28 seats.

- Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP): 27 seats.

- Taqaddum (Progress) Party (Sunni, Mohammed al-Halbousi): 27 seats.

- Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK): 18 seats.

These figures derive from the final certified count affirmed by Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court, which also reported the overall sectarian grouping in parliament: Shiite parties altogether hold 187 seats, Sunnis 77, Kurds 56, and minorities 9.

The KDP ran independently in the election (not as part of a broader alliance) and secured 27 seats, making it one of the strongest individual party results, although it did not surpass the RDC in total seats.

The KDP also received over one million votes, positioning it as one of the most popular single parties on the national ballot.

With Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish blocs all engaged in parallel negotiations, the coming days are expected to be decisive in determining whether Iraq can break its political deadlock and move toward forming a new government.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/88 ... e-minister

[Anthea]

Iraq dismisses officials

The Iraqi government has issued administrative penalties after an official publication mistakenly listed Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Ansar Allah as "terrorist organizations"

The move, which appeared in a government gazette last month, triggered swift political backlash.

The decision follows earlier denials from the Iraqi Presidency, which on December 5 said it had no prior knowledge of, or involvement in, the designation, stressing that such measures fall outside its constitutional authority and are not submitted to it for approval.

The Presidency added that it learned of the listing through social media, mirroring a statement from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s office that acknowledged that the wording of the asset-freeze decision misrepresented Iraq’s official position and ordered an urgent probe to identify those responsible.

The Prime Minister’s office clarified that Iraq’s consent to freeze assets, based on a request from Malaysia, was strictly limited to individuals and entities linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda.

Concerned officials removed

Prime Minister Mohammad Shia' al-Sudani chaired the 50th regular session of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, during which the matter was formally addressed.

The session reviewed the country’s overall situation and adopted a number of decisions, including approval of recommendations from an investigative committee formed to examine the issue.

“The recommendations included administrative penalties, comprising the removal of a number of concerned officials and the reassignment of others,” a government statement confirmed.

The listing appeared in Al-Waqai’ Al-Iraqiyya (the Official Gazette of Iraq), Issue No. 4848, dated November 17, 2025. It included Hezbollah and Ansar Allah under measures related to United Nations Security Council counterterrorism resolutions, which Iraqi authorities later clarified as a publishing error.

Read more: Iraqi Hezbollah suspends operations against United States
Hezbollah, Ansar Allah wrongly listed in official gazette

The erroneous inclusion sparked concern in Iraq and beyond

Critics warned that the listing could jeopardize Iraq’s relationships with key regional partners.

Officials quickly issued clarifications, affirming that Iraq had not formally designated either group as a "terrorist organization". Iraqi counterterrorism measures, they said, apply strictly to groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Al-Sudani reaffirms Iraq’s official policy stance

During Tuesday’s cabinet session, al-Sudani endorsed the committee’s report, which focused on administrative accountability and affirmed Iraq’s independent approach to implementing international resolutions.

The government emphasized that the content mistakenly published was not reflective of Baghdad’s foreign policy.

The committee’s work was linked to Decision No. 61 of 2025 issued by the Committee for Freezing Terrorists’ Assets and was meant to comply with UN obligations. However, Iraqi leadership clarified that no new domestic designation had been made against Hezbollah or Ansar Allah.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... lah-listin

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Iraq’s new parliament 29 December

Iraq’s incoming parliament is scheduled to hold its first session on December 29, according to a decree issued Tuesday by the country’s president. The session will mark the first convening of the new legislature since Iraq held its key parliamentary elections in mid-November

In a statement, the Iraqi presidency said President Abdul Latif Rashid issued a decree stipulating that “the elected Council of Representatives, in its sixth term, shall convene on Monday, December 29.”

The decree “takes effect from the date of its issuance and publication in the Official Gazette of Iraq (al-Waqa’i al-Iraqiya),” the statement added,

Iraq held early legislative elections on November 9, followed by general voting on November 11. Final results were announced in mid-November.

The country’s top judicial authority, the Federal Supreme Court, on Sunday ratified the final results of the vote, saying the elections “met all constitutional and legal requirements.”

The ratification followed last week’s announcement by the Electoral Judicial Panel - an affiliate of Iraq’s highest administrative authority overseeing the judiciary, the Supreme Judicial Council - that it had concluded its review of “all appeals submitted regarding the election results.”

The development comes as political negotiations over key positions in the next cabinet gain momentum.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 constitution, the new parliament must convene with a two-thirds quorum in a session led by the eldest legislator, who serves as acting speaker. Parliament then elects a speaker, followed by a president through a secret ballot - requiring a two-thirds majority in the first round or a simple majority in a runoff

The largest parliamentary bloc then nominates a prime minister-designate, who is tasked by the new president with forming the next government.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/161220251

[Anthea]

KDP Sets Conditions on
Iraq’s New Government

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) Central Committee said the party has a clear vision for managing Iraq’s next government and has formed a negotiation delegation to engage in talks in Baghdad based on that approach

Mohammed Khurshid, a Central Committee member, told BasNews that the KDP’s demands and outlook for the formation of the new Iraqi cabinet were outlined in an official statement issued after a recent Central Committee meeting.

He said KDP leader Masoud Barzani clarified the party’s vision for governance in Baghdad during the meeting, stressing that the party seeks to secure Kurdistan’s rightful position within the Iraqi government on the basis of balance, partnership, and consensus.

Khurshid added that Barzani has urged vigilance and the use of veto power against any attempts to provoke conflict between Kurds and Arabs or fuel sectarian divisions.

He said the KDP has already formed a negotiation delegation to travel to Baghdad and pursue several key demands, most notably restructuring the Federal Supreme Court in line with the constitution, addressing the issue of establishing the Federal Council, and resolving outstanding disputes related to the federal budget, public salaries, and the election law.

Khurshid also emphasized that the post of Iraq’s president does not belong to any specific political party, but rather represents the will and rights of the people of Kurdistan

After the parliamentary vote on November 11, 2025, Iraq is in the midst of extended negotiations to choose its legislative and executive leadership and form a new federal cabinet.

The Supreme Court certified the 2025 election results, clearing the way for the new Council of Representatives to convene and begin government-formation talks.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/902071

[Anthea]

Iraq to Decide PM Nominee Monday

Iraq’s Shia Coordination Framework is expected to hold a pivotal meeting on Monday evening aimed at settling the long-running dispute over the nomination of the country’s next prime minister, as political forces race to finalize key decisions ahead of parliament’s first session

According to an official source cited by Baghdad Al-Yawm, senior leaders of the Coordination Framework will convene at the residence of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition. The source said the gathering is intended to “finalize the name of the prime ministerial candidate” and bring internal debates to a close.

The meeting is expected to focus not only on potential names, but also on the criteria required for the next head of government, including the ability to manage Iraq’s political divisions, economic pressures, and ongoing security challenges. The source added that internal voting mechanisms remain an option if consensus cannot be reached through negotiations.

Within Shia political circles, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani continues to be mentioned as a leading contender for a second term, though the source stressed that no outcome is guaranteed and that the decision will hinge on the conclusions reached during Monday’s talks.

The renewed push reflects mounting pressure within the Coordination Framework to present a unified position and avoid internal fractures that could delay the government formation process. Shia factions have faced growing calls from other political blocs to accelerate negotiations, particularly as constitutional timelines loom following the certification of election results.

Under Iraq’s political system, the largest bloc in parliament nominates the prime minister, who is then tasked with forming a cabinet and securing parliamentary approval. Prolonged disputes over the nominee have repeatedly stalled previous government formations, often leading to extended political deadlock.

Monday’s meeting is widely seen as a critical test of whether the Coordination Framework can consolidate its position and move swiftly toward forming a new government, or whether disagreements will persist into the opening sessions of the new parliament.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/902173

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KRG PM Barzani Calls for
Inclusive Iraqi Government

Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said no community should be marginalized in the formation of Iraq’s next federal government, stressing the need for partnership and balance as political negotiations continue in Baghdad

Prime Minister Barzani made the remarks during a meeting on Tuesday in Erbil with Sarmad Khamis Khanjar, head of the Siyada (Sovereignty) Alliance, where the two sides discussed Iraq’s political situation and ongoing efforts to form a new cabinet, a KRG statement said.

The talks focused on consultations among Iraqi political forces and negotiations aimed at reaching agreement on key positions and policy priorities for the next government. Both sides emphasized that the incoming cabinet should be formed on the basis of consensus and constitutional principles.

PM Barzani and Khanjar underlined that the new government must represent all components of Iraqi society and serve all citizens without discrimination, warning that exclusion or marginalization would undermine national unity and political stability.

The meeting comes as Iraq’s political blocs continue talks following prolonged disputes over power-sharing, a recurring challenge in the country’s post-2003 political system. Government formation in Iraq often involves lengthy negotiations among Shia, Sunni, Kurdish, and minority parties over senior posts and the distribution of authority.

Iraq is facing mounting economic pressures, persistent shortcomings in public services, and ongoing security concerns, despite relative improvements in stability in recent years. Political leaders have repeatedly said that a broad-based and inclusive government is essential to addressing these challenges and restoring public confidence in state institutions.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/902359