Al-Maliki Meets Barzani in Erbil as Dawa Party Announces His Candidacy for Iraq’s Premiership

Peregraf - Nouri al-Maliki arrived in Erbil on Saturday for high-level political talks, and while he was meeting with Masoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), his Islamic Dawa Party officially announced him as its candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Iraq. 

The Shura Council of the Islamic Dawa Party, chaired by al-Maliki, issued a short statement confirming that its Secretary-General had been unanimously selected as the party’s nominee. The timing of the announcement—released during Maliki’s meeting with Barzani—highlighted the political momentum the Dawa Party is seeking to build as government-formation efforts accelerate.

According to a statement from the Barzani Headquarters, al-Maliki and Barzani discussed the results of the Iraqi Council of Representatives elections and the next phase of political negotiations. Both sides agreed on the importance of using the election results “in the service of the Iraqi people” and decided to continue coordination and the exchange of views among political actors involved in forming the new government.

Al-Maliki’s media office noted that the two leaders congratulated one another on their electoral performance and reviewed the state of discussions among national political forces. Maliki emphasized “the importance of continuing joint efforts to accelerate the formation of a government that responds to the demands of the Iraqi people, strengthens stability, and protects the democratic process.”

In a separate meeting in Erbil, al-Maliki also met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. A KRG statement said the two sides discussed the longstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and the Federal Government, stressing the need to resolve them “based on the constitution and existing agreements.” 

Following the final election results, the Shiite Coordination Framework has declared itself the largest parliamentary bloc and has initiated moves to form the next government.

Alongside al-Maliki, current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is seeking a second term, while Hamid al-Shatri, head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, is also being discussed as a potential contender. The Coordination Framework, however, has not yet settled on a single candidate.