Political analyst Ibrahim al-Sarraj says it’s very unlikely that Nouri al-Maliki will step back from his bid for prime minister.
Speaking to Dinar Opinions, al-Sarraj said the Coordinating Framework is expected to meet in the next few hours. The goal of the meeting, he said, is to confirm its support for al-Maliki as its candidate for the top job.
He dismissed recent talk about al-Maliki possibly withdrawing as media noise. According to him, these rumors are being pushed to pressure the two main Kurdish parties, especially since they have not yet agreed on a presidential candidate.
Al-Sarraj added that the Framework could also use its next meeting to set a date for the presidential election. Once a president is chosen, that person would officially assign al-Maliki to form the government.
In short, he believes the Framework is preparing to break the political deadlock and move forward with settling the key leadership positions.
