Peregraf — A high-ranking Kurdish source told Peregraf that Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi is expected to visit Erbil early next week to meet with Kurdish leaders and discuss the formation of Iraq's new government.
According to the source, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) supports al-Zaidi's nomination and is expected to participate in his cabinet.
Senior Kurdish leaders have welcomed the designation of Ali al-Zaidi as Iraq's prime minister-designate, expressing support for the formation of an inclusive government and calling for stronger cooperation between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.
The development comes despite the KDP's ongoing boycott of sessions in the Iraqi Parliament and the Council of Ministers, which has lasted for approximately two weeks in protest over the election of Nizar Amedi as president.
Government Formation Talks Intensify
Al-Zaidi's anticipated visit is part of broader efforts to secure political consensus as he works to form a new cabinet within the constitutional deadline.
On April 27, Iraq's ruling Coordination Framework (CF) selected al-Zaidi as its candidate for prime minister, and President Nizar Amedi officially tasked him with forming the next government.
His nomination followed weeks of internal divisions within the alliance, centered mainly on the candidacies of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani.
Both leaders eventually withdrew, allowing the coalition to agree on al-Zaidi as what it described as a "consensus candidate."
Background of the PM-Designate
Al-Zaidi, born in 1986, is a businessman and politician with a background in law and finance.
He currently chairs the Al-Watania Holding Group and previously served as chairman of Al-Janoob Islamic Bank for Investment and Finance, one of several Iraqi banks barred by the Central Bank of Iraq from conducting US dollar transactions in 2024, following alleged money laundering, fraud, and the illicit use of US currency.
He also serves as CEO of Dijlah TV and chairs the boards of Al-Shaab University and the Ishtar Medical Institute.
Under the Iraqi constitution, he has 30 days to form a cabinet and secure parliamentary approval.
His nomination is widely described as an attempt to preserve unity within Iraq's ruling Shia alliance and avoid a broader political crisis over government formation.