Dawa Party Nominates Nouri al-Maliki for Iraq's Prime Minister Position

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a political maneuver that could reshape the trajectory of Iraq’s government formation process, the Islamic Dawa Party has formally and unanimously nominated its Secretary-General, Nouri al-Maliki, for the position of Prime Minister of Iraq. The announcement, made on Saturday, November 22, 2025, signals the potential return of one of the country’s most polarizing and enduring figures to the apex of executive power.

This dramatic development coincided precisely with Maliki’s arrival in Erbil, where he touched down before noon to lead a high-level delegation from the Coordination Framework in critical negotiations with the Kurdish leadership.

The official confirmation of Maliki’s candidacy was detailed in a statement issued by the Islamic Dawa Party and received by Al-Rabia media outlets.

The missive revealed the internal workings of the party's decision-making apparatus, stating that the Shura Council of the Islamic Dawa Party had convened and decided by a unanimous vote to field Maliki as their sole official candidate for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. 

The unanimity of the vote underscores the solidified control Maliki maintains over the party apparatus and the State of Law Coalition, positioning him not merely as a kingmaker, but as a direct contender for the throne he vacated over a decade ago.

The timing of this announcement appears to be a calculated display of political leverage.

As the news of his nomination broke across Iraqi media, Maliki was already on the ground in the Kurdistan Region. Serving simultaneously as the head of the State of Law Coalition and the Secretary-General of the Dawa Party, he arrived in Erbil accompanied by a delegation representing the broader Coordination Framework Alliance. 

The visit is strategically centered on meetings with President Masoud Barzani and other senior officials of the Kurdistan Region. These discussions are ostensibly focused on the formation of the new Iraqi government, a process that now carries the added weight of Maliki’s formal bid for the premiership.

To understand the significance of this nomination, one must examine the deep and often tumultuous history of the man seeking to reclaim Iraq’s highest office. Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki was born on June 20, 1950, in Hindiya, located in the Karbala Governorate.

His entry into the political sphere was, in many ways, a continuation of a family legacy steeped in Iraqi nationalism and governance. His grandfather, Mohammed Hassan Abu al-Mahasin, was a prominent figure in Iraq’s history, serving as one of the leaders of the pivotal Twentieth Revolution and holding the portfolio of Minister of Education during the monarchy era.

Maliki’s intellectual formation took place in Baghdad and, notably, in the Kurdistan Region itself.

He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies from the College of Usul al-Din in Baghdad in 1973. In a biographical detail that adds a layer of complexity to his current negotiations in Erbil, Maliki also holds a Master's degree in Arabic Literature from Salahaddin University in Erbil, giving him a personal academic connection to the city where he is currently negotiating his political future.

His political career proper began in the shadows of the Ba'athist era. In the early 1970s, Maliki joined the Islamic Dawa Party, which operated at the time as an underground, secret organization dedicated to opposing the regime.

As the grip of Saddam Hussein’s security apparatus tightened, the late 1970s became a period of existential threat for the party. By 1979, the regime began a brutal suppression campaign against Dawa members, forcing Maliki to flee Iraq after a death sentence was issued against him in absentia.

This marked the beginning of a decades-long exile that would shape his worldview and political alliances. Maliki spent nearly 24 years outside his homeland, living primarily in Syria since 1979 and Iran since 1982.

During these years in the wilderness of opposition, he rose through the ranks to become a senior leader in the Dawa Party, establishing and cultivating deep relations with the governments of Iran and Syria—ties that remain relevant to his political standing today.

Following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, Maliki returned to a transformed Iraq to take up key roles in the transitional period. He served as the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme De-Baathification Commission, a body tasked with purging former regime elements from the state.

In the elections of 2005, he was elected as a member of the Transitional National Assembly and subsequently the Iraqi Parliament. His influence was further cemented by his role as a key member of the drafting committee responsible for writing Iraq's new permanent constitution.

However, it is his tenure as Prime Minister from May 20, 2006, to September 8, 2014, that defines his legacy and colors the current reaction to his nomination.

Maliki served two consecutive terms, originally forming a government of national unity with the stated aim of calming the sectarian conflicts that threatened to tear the country apart. Despite these initial intentions, his eight years in power are widely remembered for an increase in sectarian conflict and profound political instability.

Critics of his administration point to the centralization of power that characterized his later years in office. During his era, Maliki held several critical security portfolios—the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of National Security—by proxy, refusing to appoint independent ministers and effectively consolidating control over the armed forces within his own office.

This consolidation coincided with growing alienation among the Sunni population and allegations of authoritarianism.

The nadir of his premiership occurred in 2014, when the terrorist organization ISIS swept across the border and seized control of vast swathes of Iraqi territory, including the city of Mosul.

The collapse of the security forces, which were under his direct oversight, led to intense domestic and international scrutiny. Criticism was directed squarely at the sectarian and authoritarian policies of his government, which many observers and political actors considered to be primary causes for the rise of ISIS and the disenfranchisement that allowed the group to find a foothold.

In the face of these military defeats and mounting pressure from both the Iraqi political spectrum and international partners—especially the United States—Maliki withdrew from the post of Prime Minister in 2014.

In a move to preserve the continuity of the Dawa Party's governance, he supported his party colleague Haider al-Abadi for the role, stepping back from the precipice of a third term.

Yet, Maliki never truly left the center of power.

Following his resignation, he assumed the role of Vice President, serving from 2014 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018. He retained his grip on the party machinery, having served as the Secretary-General of the Islamic Dawa Party continuously since 2007.

Today, as the head of the State of Law Coalition, he commands a major Shiite political bloc in the Iraqi Parliament. His coalition plays a significant, often decisive, role in determining the political process and the formation of governments.

The unanimous nomination by the Dawa Party Shura Council represents a remarkable resurgence for a leader who left office under the cloud of the ISIS incursion.

By formally entering the race while simultaneously engaging the Kurdish leadership in Erbil, Nouri al-Maliki is signaling that the State of Law Coalition intends to dictate the terms of the next phase of Iraqi governance, challenging rivals and allies alike to respond to his bid for a historic third term.

This article was updated on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, at 02:21 PM.