Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki must “apologise to the Iraqi people for years of his reign,” the Citizen Coalition said yesterday.
The comments came hours before the Iraqi parliament session and assessments for assigning candidates for the parliamentary bloc of the next government.
In a statement, Member of Parliament Mohammed Allkash said: “The nomination of Al-Maliki for a third term is in his hands and not in the hands of his State of Law Coalition, he has to withdraw his candidacy and leave the issue in the hands of the National Alliance, and follow in the steps of other leaders and presidents who abandoned their posts for the interests of their own countries.”
He added: “Al-Maliki did not achieve any success regarding the issues of politics and security, the economy, trade and service, which saw a decline and collapse during the years of his rule. Despite the great opportunity afforded to him, which was not available to other funds, ministries and bodies, the country is going into a dark tunnel and losing its identity and breaking down.”
The leader of the Supreme Islamic Council, one of the members of the National Alliance, Salah Arbaoui told Al-Arab Al-Jadeed that the State of Law Coalition is unable to achieve a parliamentary majority, if the Al-Maliki is not nominated.
Haitham Al-Jubouri, MP for the State of Law Coalition, said he favoured nominating Al-Maliki in the parliamentary session that will be held next Tuesday. He stressed that the coalition will act as the largest bloc and submit its candidate in accordance with the constitution.
Al-Jubouri acknowledged that there have been difficulties with dialogue between the components of the National Alliance because of the difference on Al-Maliki’s nomination for a third term, pointing out that the candidate is the one who will form the next government.
Leaders of the National Alliance failed, during an emergency meeting in Baghdad yesterday, to agree on a candidate for prime minister, because of the sharp divisions within the coalition. Ali Al-Darraji, leader of the Sadrist movement, said: “The majority of the members of the alliance refuse to give Al-Maliki the position of prime minister, amid the latter’s insistence on the position.”