Shiite Blocs Fail to Agree on Next Prime Minister as Iraq’s Political Deadlock Deepens

Peregraf — Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework has failed to reach an agreement on a candidate for prime minister, underscoring growing political uncertainty as the country moves through key constitutional deadlines to form its next government.

In a statement issued Monday, the Coordination Framework said leaders of its constituent parties held their regular meeting at the office of former prime minister Haider al-Abadi, stressing the importance of selecting the next prime minister and resolving remaining "electoral entitlements" in line with constitutional procedures.

Despite declaring in mid-November that it had formed the largest parliamentary bloc with 179 seats in the 329-member legislature—a decisive step toward nominating the prime minister—the alliance has so far been unable to settle on a single candidate. Talks among Shiite parties are continuing, but no breakthrough has been announced.

The Coordination Framework welcomed the recent election of the speaker of parliament and his deputies and discussed "the latest developments on the domestic and international fronts," according to the statement.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing arrangement, the post of parliament speaker is allocated to Sunni Arabs, the premiership to Shiites, and the presidency to Kurds.

Last week, the newly elected parliament convened its first session and chose Haibat al-Halbousi of the Sunni Takaddum party as speaker. Lawmakers also elected Adnan Faihan of the Sadiqoon Bloc, affiliated with Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, as first deputy speaker, and Farhad Atrushi of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) as second deputy speaker.

While Shiite forces remain divided over the premiership, the race for the presidency has also entered a critical phase. Current President Dr. Latif Rashid has officially nominated himself for a second term. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has put forward Nizar Amedi, while the KDP has announced Fuad Hussein as its official candidate. These three figures are considered the leading Kurdish contenders, and it is widely expected that one of them will secure the post.

The presidency is traditionally allocated to the Kurds and is generally viewed within Kurdish politics as the PUK’s share. However, long-standing rivalries between the Kurdish parties continue to shape the contest. In the previous term, Dr. Latif Rashid ran as an independent while Barham Salih was the PUK nominee. The KDP opposed Salih, and Rashid ultimately emerged as a compromise candidate—a scenario analysts say could be repeated.

Although more than 40 candidates, including Arabs and independents, have submitted applications for the presidency, their chances remain slim due to the Kurdish consensus over the post.

Recent tensions over the position of second deputy speaker of parliament—also considered part of the Kurdish share—highlighted these divisions. That vote went through three rounds after the PUK initially withheld support from the KDP’s nominee, before backing a replacement candidate who ultimately won.

Under the constitution, parliament must elect a president within 30 days of its first session. The president then has 15 days to nominate a prime ministerial candidate, typically from the largest parliamentary bloc, who is given 30 days to form a cabinet and present a government program for a confidence vote.

With nomination deadlines ended yesterday, political attention remains focused on Baghdad and Erbil. The outcome of both the Shiite negotiations over the premiership and the Kurdish contest for the presidency is expected to shape Iraq’s next federal leadership and determine whether the country can avoid a prolonged political stalemate.