On Monday evening, a powerful coalition of Shi’ite political parties known as the Coalition Framework sat down in Baghdad to try to choose a new prime minister for Iraq.
The prime minister of Iraq is a Shi’ite, while the president of the country is Kurdish, a feature of the political system since 2003. Because of a desire for consensus, the Shi’ite parties seek to coordinate their choice and then present it to parliament.
Iraq’s election was last November, but the parties still can’t agree on a prime minister. In January, it appeared that former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki would be the choice. US President Donald Trump, however, opposed Maliki and threatened Iraq.
Then came the US and Israeli strikes against Iran in February. All of this led to chaos.
The Shi’ites are now trying to find someone to choose. Maliki is one choice, and the current prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, is another option.
Washington is watching closely. The US has suspended some security cooperation with Iraq and is withholding dollar transfers to pressure Baghdad to investigate attacks on Americans in Iraq, Saudi Arabian news channel Al Hadath and US-funded news channel Alhurra reported.
“Two Iraqi cabinet sources confirmed to Alhurra that the United States has halted shipments of US dollars to Iraq,” Alhurra reported.
Iran has preferred that Iraq choose weak prime ministers
On Monday, rumors circulated in Iraq that the Coordination Framework had nominated compromise candidate Bassem al-Badri for prime minister.
Badri is a relative unknown in Iraq. Tehran has preferred that Baghdad choose weak prime ministers. This helps Iran control Iraq via a group of Shi’ite militias called the Popular Mobilization Forces.
These militias have carried out hundreds of drone and missile attacks in Iraq in recent months. They also reportedly targeted Saudi Arabia. In addition, they kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson.
Iran sent IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani to Iraq on Sunday to pressure Iraq to reach a deal and also meet with the militias.
It is not clear what the Coordination Framework will do now. Iraq doesn’t want to anger the US too much. But it also doesn’t want problems with Iran.
“Earlier in the day [April 20], Kurdistan24 correspondent Dilan Barzan reported from Baghdad that most leaders of the Coordination Framework had gathered at the residence of Ammar al-Hakim,” Kurdistan24, a new channel based in northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, reported. “He noted that al-Badri – reportedly backed by Nouri al-Maliki – had also arrived at the meeting.”
“Meanwhile, Mushriq al-Fraiji, an official in the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, told Kurdistan24 that Coordination Framework leaders convened at al-Hakim’s office, where he heads the National Forces Alliance, to discuss resolving the selection of a prime ministerial candidate,” the report said.
Many things are happening behind the scenes in Iraq. With new claims that Iraqi militias carried out attacks against Saudi Arabia, and reports of divisions in the Kurdistan Region between the KDP and PUK Kurdish parties, the country is lurching from crisis to crisis.
Resolving the issue of who will be the next prime minister is only one part of this. According to reports, Iraq’s Shi’ite parties were on the verge of making a decision.