Peregraf
Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law coalition and former Iraqi prime minister, has warned of what he described as attempts to undermine Iraq’s political system, saying his bloc will not allow a return to dictatorship or civil strife.
Speaking at a tribal gathering in Babylon province on Monday, Maliki said, “The blind frogs of darkness are trying to carry out a coup against the political process in Iraq.” He stressed that the country’s political system, constitution, and democratic process must be preserved.
Maliki, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2014, said the lessons of the past must not be repeated, referring to sectarian conflict, authoritarianism, and wars that devastated Iraq in earlier decades. “Our coalition will not allow dictatorship, fascism, sectarianism, mass graves, and futile wars to return. The goal is to make Iraq strong, to protect it from war and confrontation,” he told supporters.
The former premier also recalled Iraq’s fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), crediting the 2014 religious fatwa issued by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for mobilizing popular forces against the extremist group. He underlined that political change should only take place through elections, describing the ballot box as “sacred.
Maliki rejected any possibility of delaying Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11, 2025. “Elections are a national right and cannot be postponed. Any postponement means the end of the political and democratic process,” he warned.
He added that elected officials must focus on delivering services and addressing poverty, while cautioning Iraqis not to be swayed by “rumors and propaganda.” Maliki said Iraqis must move forward with forming parliament and government institutions “regardless of external challenges and pressures.”
The comments come as Iraq prepares for elections amid a fragile political environment. While Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has sought to project stability, divisions remain between Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish blocs, and armed groups continue to wield influence outside the state’s control. Maliki, a central figure in Shiite politics and a controversial leader during his premiership, has positioned himself as a defender of Iraq’s political process against both domestic and foreign threats.