Tishwash: Warnings about the cost of delaying the 2026 budget
Warnings are increasing about the economic repercussions of the delay in approving the (2026) budget, amid fears of continued losses and worsening uncertainty in the markets.
In response to these warnings, the Finance Committee in the House of Representatives believes that the state has limited options to address the crisis, most notably resorting to borrowing laws or enacting an emergency law similar to the Food Security Law, but activating these options remains contingent on an official request from the government.
The Prime Minister’s financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, confirmed that the Iraqi economy, which relies heavily on government spending as a major driver of growth, is directly affected by any delay in approving the budget, explaining that this turns into a recession factor that affects both the public and private sectors and creates a prolonged state of instability.
He pointed out that the most prominent repercussions are the disruption of investment projects, especially new ones, as a result of the lack of financial allocations, which negatively affects the labor market through a decline in employment opportunities and an increase in unemployment rates. link
CandyKisses: The Coordination Framework meeting scheduled for this evening was postponed due to the continuation of differences
Baghdad Today – Baghdad
An informed source reported on Saturday (April 25, 2026), that the meeting scheduled to be held by the leaders of the Coordination Framework this evening to discuss the file of selecting the candidate for the presidency of the Council of Ministers has been postponed, due to the continued disagreements between the political parties and the lack of a decisive mechanism to decide the name of the final candidate.
The source told Baghdad Today that “the meeting aimed to bring the views of the forces involved in the framework closer and push towards agreeing on a final formula for the selection of the figure who will be responsible for forming the next government, but the existing disagreements regarding the selection mechanism, whether through political consensus or internal voting, prevented it from being held on time.”
The source, who asked not to be named, explained that “a number of parties are still sticking to their candidates, while other parties are calling for the adoption of specific criteria related to political acceptance and the ability to manage the next stage, which has contributed to the complexity of the scene and the postponement of the decision until further notice.”
He added that “contacts and consultations between the leaders of the Coordination Framework will continue in the coming hours, in an attempt to bring the positions closer and reach an understanding that will lead to the holding of a new meeting soon, especially with the approach of the constitutional entitlements related to the nomination of the Prime Minister.”
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Tishwash: Now… a meeting at the Government Palace to try to break the deadlock over the prime ministerial candidate.
The government palace in Baghdad is currently witnessing – after midnight tonight – a meeting that includes a number of Shiite political leaders, in an attempt to discuss solutions to the crisis of naming the next prime minister, after the forces of the coordination framework failed to agree on a mechanism for deciding the nomination.
A well-informed political source told Shafaq News Agency that the meeting focuses on “smoothing things over” between the framework forces, and searching for a way out that allows the transition from the stage of disagreement over names and the selection mechanism, to a consensus formula that can be passed within the Shiite house.
This comes in conjunction with a new postponement of the Coordination Framework meeting that was scheduled to decide on its candidate for prime minister, amid continued disagreement among its leaders regarding the figure who will be tasked with forming the next government.
According to the source, the dispute is no longer limited to the name of the candidate only, but also includes the nomination mechanism itself, and whether the decision will be made by political consensus or by voting within the framework, as well as the guarantees related to the distribution of ministerial portfolios.
The forces of the Coordination Framework have been experiencing a series of faltering meetings for days, under the pressure of the constitutional deadline to task the candidate of the largest bloc with forming the government, after the election of the President of the Republic, while political sources speak of intensive attempts to avoid the disputes moving into a new stage of political deadlock. link
Tishwash: Iraqi citizens criticize, via Rudaw, the framework’s delay in naming a candidate for prime minister.
Sunday, April 26, 2026, marks the constitutional deadline for the coordinating body to select a candidate for the next prime minister.
Rudaw Media Network interviewed several Baghdad residents about the nature of the disagreements among these leaders, which consistently lead to their meetings failing to reach a conclusion and being repeatedly postponed.
Falah Abdullah, a civil activist, told Rudaw Media Network: “There are internal disagreements and interference, but I believe that the veto imposed on the current and former prime ministers was one of the problems that hindered the appointment of a prime minister.”
Mohammed Salman, an athlete, told Rudaw: “This isn’t the first time, and it’s not surprising that the country is delaying the appointment of a prime minister. Everyone knows that regional powers have a significant influence on the selection process.”
Huda al-Rubaie, a photographer, stated that “the political blocs don’t trust each other, aren’t looking for a competent candidate, and there is foreign interference. These are all the reasons.”
In the same vein, political analyst Dr. Anwar al-Moussawi stated, “Some believe their candidate is the best and capable of shouldering future responsibilities. Conversely, they argue that there is corruption and a lack of coordination with armed groups, which they consider weaknesses.”
Lawyer Hussein al-Moussawi expressed his opinion, saying, “The issue revolves around political interests and conflicts. There is no understanding among them. The Coordination Framework should have resolved the matter and selected the prime minister based on principles that serve the country, ensuring he is a qualified individual for this critical phase Iraq is going through.”
Similarly, Hassan al-Obeidi, an employee, remarked, “In my opinion, the current situation is an American-Iranian conflict, and this is what is preventing the formation of a government.”
The nomination of the prime minister has been a point of contention for over four months, amidst divisions within the Coordination Framework. Several meetings have been postponed to allow more time for consultations among the parties.
The Coordination Framework holds 164 seats out of the more than 180 seats held by Shia forces in parliament.
Coalition member Khalid Walid told Rudaw Media Network on Saturday (April 25, 2026), following a meeting of the Coordination Framework leaders on Friday night that failed to reach an agreement, that “the previous phase witnessed attempts to push through nominations that lacked national acceptance, including the earlier selection of Maliki with ten votes, which was thwarted by internal reservations within the Framework and rejection from the broader national political sphere.”
Walid added that “pursuing compromise candidates proved fruitless, as no candidate was able to secure the required majority for approval, either among members of the Framework or within the Council of Representatives,” noting that insisting on disregarding the results did not resolve the crisis.
According to the constitution, the Coordination Framework has 15 days (starting April 11, 2026) to finalize its candidate and submit him to the President of the Republic.
A member of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition explained that “our nomination of Al-Sudani is ongoing and there is no going back on it, as he represents the first winner in these elections, and choosing him is a positive and direct message to the public who cast their vote,” considering that any talk of a “compromise candidate” or hinting at “early elections” would represent a negative message that undermines the voter’s confidence and repeats crises related to the interpretation of the “largest bloc” and electoral entitlements.
Walid concluded his statement by saying, “There is still an opportunity to correct the course within the framework and reach a decision before the deadline expires next Sunday,” warning that the deadline passing without an agreement would leave the House of Representatives with open options that could lead to new crises, further complicating the political landscape.
According to the constitution, the candidate tasked with forming the government must present his ministerial program and the names of his cabinet members to parliament within a maximum period of 30 days to obtain a vote of confidence. link
