Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister insists to seek third term

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki insisted on Friday he would “never give up” seeking a third term in office despite local and international accusations of sectarianism and dictatorship, Alamat Online said on Friday.

His remarks came amid a militant advance led by Sunni fighters, who have taken control of a number of large number of Iraqi cities. Al-Maliki and several other sides call them ISIS, but Iraqi Sunnis insist the fighters are mostly Sunni and tribal rebels, rather than ISIS.

“I will never give up on my candidacy for the post of prime minister,” Al-Maliki said in a statement read by a local TV presenter. Al-Maliki said his party won the majority in the 30 April elections and retained the right to nominate the prime minister. He insisted that rival groups have “no right” to impose conditions on the final selection. In the statement he said he would continue to help his people resist ISIS “terrorists” and their Baathist allies.

At a recent parliament session Iraq’s various factions failed to choose a speaker, which generated criticism from the international community and the country’s top Shia religious leader. The parliament is due to convene again on Tuesday in light of Al-Maliki’s insistence that he will fight to retain his position.

Al-Maliki has been criticised by international players, Sunni, Shia and Kurdish leaders for his sectarianism, who have called for him to stand down. Supreme Shia Islamic cleric Ali Sistani criticised the failure of the parliament to choose a speaker and form a new government. In the Friday speech delivered by his aide Ahmed Al-Safi, he renewed his call for the formation of a government with “wide national agreement.” Many officials took this as a call for Al-Maliki to quit.

American military officials believe that the Iraqi army is able to defend Baghdad in the face of the rebels, but is not able to regain the cities captured by them because of logistical problems.