Iraqi political leaders have five days to select a prime minister and end a political crisis that has persisted for five months following parliamentary elections, according to Al Jazeera.
Decision-making within the Coordination Framework, the largest bloc of Shia parties, was postponed again on Tuesday for further internal consultations. The group currently holds 185 of the 329 seats in parliament.
Under Article 76 of the Iraqi constitution, the president must ask the nominee from the largest parliamentary bloc to form a government within 15 days of being elected. Nizar Amedi was elected president on April 11.
Internal power struggles are currently hindering the bloc's ability to reach a consensus. Tensions have emerged between the Hikma Movement, led by Ammar al-Hakim, and the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Movement, led by Qais al-Khazali.
Competition for the premiership
On Monday, the State of Law Coalition nominated Bassem al-Badry as its candidate for prime minister. Meanwhile, the Reconstruction and Development Coalition selected Ihsan al-Awadi, the director of the office of caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Al-Badry, who chairs the Accountability and Justice Commission, is currently viewed as the leading candidate. Hider al-Mola, a member of the State of Law Coalition, told Al Jazeera that the balance is "clearly tipping" in favor of al-Badry.
Al-Mola noted that the delay in naming a candidate stems from repeated rescheduling of meetings due to differing viewpoints among leaders. He expressed hope that disagreements would be resolved this week.
Iraq's political landscape remains caught between the competing influences of Iran and the United States. In January, the bloc's nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki drew threats of reduced US support from President Donald Trump.
Recent diplomatic visits by Iran’s Quds Force head Ismail Qaani and US envoy Tom Barrack have added further complexity to the negotiations. Al-Mola denied any connection between these visits and the selection process, stating that Iran's role is limited to supporting agreements reached by Iraqi political blocs.
