Iraq Names Ali al-Zaidi Prime Minister-Designate With May 27 Cabinet Deadline

Iraq’s Iran-aligned Shia Coordination Framework bloc nominated businessman Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister-designate after more than five months of negotiations that followed the country’s parliamentary elections on November 11. Those elections were the seventh since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Zaidi is regarded as a compromise candidate between sitting Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. Zaidi now has until May 27 to form a government by selecting a cabinet that must be approved by Iraq’s Council of Representatives.

The deadline was set under the Iraqi constitution. If he fails to secure approval within the 30-day period, the president may nominate another candidate while caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani remains in office. The selection of Zaidi comes as Iraq’s political process remains linked to broader regional dynamics.

Washington, Tehran, Russia and China are all competing for influence in the country. The Coordination Framework holds the largest bloc in parliament following the November vote.

Forming a cabinet will require balancing demands from pro-Iran factions, Kurdish and Sunni parliamentary blocs, and the United States. The Coordination Framework nominated Zaidi after internal discussions that included political negotiations, threats and infighting.

com reported that Zaidi faces a difficult task in assembling a government acceptable to all major parties. The outcome will determine the direction of Iraq’s domestic policies and its relationships with Western and regional powers. A successful formation would end the extended period of political uncertainty that began after last year’s elections.