Nuri al-Maliki Becomes One Step Closer to the Prime Ministery of Iraq

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani withdrew his candidacy for the Prime Minister of Iraq and endorsed Nuri al-Maliki for the position.

News ID: 87227

Date: 12 January 2026 - 09:02

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The Prime Minister of Iraq, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, has withdrawn his candidacy for the future Iraqi Prime Ministry and announced his support for Nuri al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law Coalition. Furthermore, the framework for coordinating Shia Iraq has also stated that it will review the withdrawal of Muhammad Shia al-Sudani from the race for Iraqi Prime Minister and his support for Nouri al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law. Also, some news sources in Iraq and the region have also approved this news.

Numerous reports and articles highlight an important fact: all forces within the framework for coordination of Shia, except Ammar al-Hakim, the head of the National Wisdom who proposed referring the issue to the religious authority, have expressed their consent to Nuri al-Maliki's candidacy.

Moreover, Amar al-Faisal, the head of the 'Decision' faction in the Iraqi Parliament, referring to a meeting between Nuri al-Maliki and Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, described it as a proposal from the coordination framework, adding that it was in line with the mechanisms for selecting the next Prime Minister.

To gain a deeper understanding of Nuri al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law, it is worth noting that he began his political life as a fighting Shia in the 1970s and during Saddam's regime, and after being sentenced to death, he fled to Syria. Al-Maliki, after returning to Iraq in 2004 following Saddam's regime collapse, played a significant role in establishing the Governance Council and became the deputy head of the Committee for Eradicating the Ba'ath Party from government positions and its official spokesperson. He later held various posts, including Chairman of the Security and Defense Committee and President of the National Assembly of Iraq, and was the media spokesperson for the United Iraq Alliance.

On the other hand, Al-Maliki was one of the few individuals who vigorously advocated for the Anti-Terrorism Law in the National Assembly and was a prominent member of the committee drafting the constitution, opposing federalism and emphasizing Iraq's Arab identity. He was elected as the Prime Minister of Iraq in May 2006 after Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the head of the Islamic Dawa Party, withdrew his candidacy due to intense opposition from Sunni and Kurdish factions in the House of Representatives.

When Al-Maliki was serving as Prime Minister in 2006, he was also elected as the Secretary-General of the Dawa Party. In 2010, the State of Law, led by Al-Maliki, secured 89 seats in the Iraqi Parliament.

Al-Maliki attempted to become Prime Minister for a third time in 2014. Despite the National Alliance winning the highest votes in the parliamentary elections, his bid faced widespread opposition, especially within the National Alliance, and Heidar al-Abedi, the former Prime Minister, was chosen as the party's candidate.

In 2019, amidst divisions within the Dawa Party, Al-Maliki was re-elected as the Secretary-General, representing one faction, while Heidar al-Abedi, the former Prime Minister, led another group with the National Alliance.

Al-Maliki, in September 2021, just before the elections, announced his candidacy for the House of Representatives but faced limitations due to electoral laws and was unable to secure votes. However, the State of Law participated in the elections with 126 candidates.

In conclusion, Nuri al-Maliki, the former Prime Minister of Iraq and a leading figure in the Islamic Dawa Party, is one of the most influential politicians in Iraq over the past two decades. His life journey, from exile in Iran and Syria to leading Iraq's government in the post-Saddam era, reflects the political and security dynamics of the Middle East.