State of Law responds to “Reconstruction”: Maliki has not and will not withdraw his candidacy for Prime Minister
The State of Law Coalition confirmed on Wednesday that its leader, Nouri al-Maliki, is committed to his candidacy for prime minister, in response to proposals that suggested presenting Basim al-Badri as a compromise candidate within the coordination framework.
Coalition member Zuhair al-Jalabi told Shafaq News Agency that “Maliki has not and will not give up his candidacy for the premiership for any of the names being circulated in the media, and he cannot give up.”
He added that “the coordinating framework, which nominated Maliki for the premiership, if it decides to change its candidate by a majority vote and nominate another person, then this is possible and acceptable.”
Al-Jalabi explained that “so far there is no candidate for the premiership other than al-Maliki,” stressing that “al-Maliki asked the Coordination Framework, in the event of any alternative candidate, to announce him through a majority agreement within the Framework, as happened with his nomination.”
He stressed that “Al-Maliki has not and will not back down, and this matter is settled. What is being presented in the media is incorrect, and there is absolutely no such intention on the part of Al-Maliki.”
Earlier, Qusay Mahbouba, a leader in the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, confirmed that Basim al-Badri had been put forward as a compromise candidate within the coordination framework for the position of the next Prime Minister, questioning the implications of this for Nouri al-Maliki’s political future and the unity of the framework.
Mahbouba said in a post on the “X” website, “Al-Maliki is giving way to Basim Al-Badri… Has Mr. Al-Maliki decided to retire politically? And leave the ranks of leaders? Has he decided that his giving way to Basim Al-Badri will be the straw that breaks the back of the Shiite coordination framework?”
It is worth noting that the Speaker of Parliament, Hebat al-Halbousi, had called on the largest parliamentary bloc last Saturday (April 11) to nominate its candidate for the premiership within a maximum period of 15 days, based on Article 76 of the Constitution, following the election of the President of the Republic.
Shafaq.com