Kurdish Policy Analysis / SULAIMANI, IRAQ--Religious authority reportedly blocks renomination of Iraq’s incumbent prime minister as Coordination Framework scrambles for alternatives amid rising external pressure and internal fragmentation.
Iraq’s top Shia religious authority is reportedly blocking Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s second-term bid, weakening his position as rival candidates emerge and the Shia Coordination Framework faces internal division during government formation talks.
Iraq’s government formation process has entered a new phase of political uncertainty after reports that the country’s top Shia religious authority has effectively blocked Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani from securing a second term.
According to remarks attributed to senior figures within the Shia Coordination Framework, the country’s Marja’iyya has issued what was described as a “veto” against Sudani’s renomination, significantly weakening his prospects as negotiations over the next government intensify.
A senior alliance member, Abdulrahman al-Jazairi, told Kurdistan 24 that Sudani’s chances of remaining in office were now “very low,” citing both religious opposition and mounting political constraints within Iraq’s ruling coalition system.
He said discussions within the Shia bloc had already shifted toward alternative candidates, including former prime minister Haider al-Abadi, as well as Bassem al-Badri and Hamid al-Shatri, reflecting an early narrowing of the field ahead of constitutional deadlines.
The developments come as Iraq enters a critical post-election period in which parliamentary blocs are required to nominate a prime minister within a limited timeframe following the selection of a president.
The report also highlights growing internal fragmentation within the Shia Coordination Framework, a coalition that has struggled to maintain unified positions amid competing leadership ambitions and external diplomatic pressure.
Nouri al-Maliki, another key figure within the alliance, is also facing diminishing prospects, with political sources suggesting resistance to his return to the premiership despite his earlier backing within parts of the bloc.
A source close to Maliki acknowledged the difficulty of his potential comeback, saying it would be “difficult” for him to secure the post.
The situation is further complicated by external geopolitical pressure, with reports indicating that international actors have signaled opposition to certain candidates, adding another layer of constraint to Iraq’s already complex power-sharing system.
The dispute unfolds against a backdrop of unresolved tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region, with Kurdish parties also recalibrating their positions in federal negotiations following recent parliamentary developments.
Political figures have called for consensus-based decision-making to avoid institutional deadlock, warning that failure to unify behind a candidate could prolong Iraq’s caretaker governance period and deepen instability.
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