Sudani Officially Withdraws Candidacy for Next Term as Iraqi Prime Minister

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has officially withdrawn his candidacy for a second term in office, his political coalition announced on Monday, throwing his support behind former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The decision, reached after intense internal deliberations and direct negotiations, aims to resolve a persistent political impasse within the country’s dominant Shiite bloc regarding the formation of the next federal government.

Firas al-Maslamawi, the spokesperson for the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, which is chaired by Sudani, confirmed the development to Kurdistan24 on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.

The spokesperson stated that the incumbent prime minister had formally stepped aside in favor of Maliki, the leader of the State of Law Coalition. The move marks a decisive shift in Iraq’s post-election landscape, consolidating support around Maliki as the leading contender to head the new administration.

According to Maslamawi, the decision was not taken unilaterally but was the result of a democratic process within Sudani’s political organization. He indicated that the withdrawal was approved by a majority vote of the members of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition.

Furthermore, the agreement was finalized following three rounds of direct negotiations between Sudani and Maliki. These talks were specifically designed to untie the "knot" of leadership that had caused a political deadlock within the Coordination Framework, the umbrella alliance of Shiite parties.

The spokesperson provided specific reasoning for the coalition’s pivot toward Maliki, citing the gravity of the challenges currently facing Iraq.

Maslamawi noted that in the days leading up to the decision, various names had been proposed for the premiership that the coalition viewed as insufficient for the task at hand.

"In the past few days, some weak names were being proposed for the post of Prime Minister, which were not at the level of those major future challenges that might confront Iraq," Maslamawi said. "Therefore, we decided to support a strong person like Maliki."

Despite holding a stronger parliamentary position than his rival, Sudani opted to concede.

The Reconstruction and Development Coalition currently controls 45 seats in the Iraqi Parliament, compared to the 30 seats held by Maliki’s State of Law Coalition.

However, Maslamawi reiterated that Sudani’s alliance intends to maintain active participation in the future government, calling on all political parties to expedite the formation process.

The withdrawal aligns with sentiments expressed by other senior figures within Sudani’s circle.

Qusay Mahbouba, a senior figure in the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, stated on Sunday that the decision was driven by a "state project" rather than personal ambition. Mahbouba emphasized that stepping aside was necessary to end political polarization and curb internal rivalries that had fractured the Coordination Framework.

He described the move as an effort to counter political opportunism and entrenched maneuvering that had stalled the nomination of a single consensus candidate.

The consolidation of support for Maliki comes after Iraq’s highest religious authority in Najaf firmly declined to intervene in the selection process.

In the lead-up to the withdrawal, the Coordination Framework had debated seeking endorsement for potential candidates from the religious establishment. However, a message conveyed by Dr. Abdul Hadi al-Hakim to the political leadership clarified that the office of Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Reza al-Sistani rejected any such involvement.

The message from Najaf, delivered following an inquiry during a Jan. 10 meeting, reiterated the religious authority's long-standing neutrality.

"Previously, the supreme religious authority clarified that it rejects having the names of candidates for the position of prime minister presented to it," the message read, adding, "Why repeat the attempt?!" This refusal effectively forced the political blocs to resolve the leadership question through internal political mechanisms rather than religious arbitration.

With the Shiite house appearing to coalesce around a single candidate, focus has shifted to the constitutional timeline for government formation.

Maslamawi called on Kurdish political parties to urgently agree on a joint candidate for the post of President of the Republic of Iraq, a necessary precursor to naming the prime minister.

The procedural clock began ticking late last year. In meetings held on Dec. 29 and 30, 2025, the Iraqi Parliament elected its new Presidency Board for the sixth legislative term. Haibet al-Halbousi was elected as Speaker of Parliament, with Adnan Fayhan as First Deputy and Farhad Atroshi as Second Deputy.

Under Article 72 of the Iraqi Constitution, the Parliament has a period of 30 days following the election of the Presidency Board to elect a new President of the Republic.

Once elected, the new President is constitutionally mandated to task the candidate of the largest parliamentary faction—which, by political custom, is the share of the Shiite component—with forming the new federal government.

The Reconstruction and Development Coalition’s announcement appears to clear the path for this process to advance. Senior figures within the State of Law Coalition, including Othman al-Shaibani, have previously indicated that the components of the Coordination Framework have reached a unified position to nominate Maliki.

Following the Coordination Framework’s 258th regular meeting on Saturday, the alliance’s media office described discussions as positive and aligned with the "supreme national interest," signaling that the prolonged negotiation phase regarding the premiership is nearing its conclusion.

Metin Kerim Khan, a Kurdistan24 News Writer, contributed to this report.

This article was updated on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at 01:18pm; adding new information.