Ex-PM to hold Iraqi vice president post

The leader of Iraq’s State of Law Coalition Party, Nouri Al-Maliki yesterday announced that he would assume the country’s vice president post.

“I’ll be the first Vice President to Iraq’s incumbent leader, Barham Saleh, but the announcement hinges on the Sunni blocs’ agreement on a nominee,” Al-Maliki said in a statement.

Some reports have reported that the Islamic candidate was the former speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Salim Al-Jabouri. “The candidate’s name would have been presented to the parliament if they [Sunni parties] have made the decision,” he explained.

In response, the Alliance Towards Reforms (Saairun) party, backed by the leader of the Sadrist movement Moqtada Al-Sadr, said that there was “no agreement for Al-Maliki to take over any state position.”

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“There are lots of political parties, us [Saairun], refusing to give Al-Maliki any senior position in the new government,” Saairun’s deputy, Ghayeb Al-Amiri, said.

Al-Amiri added that Al-Maliki’s recent statements came as a result of what he described as “political bankruptcy.” He noted that the former Iraqi prime minister was attempting “to bring himself to the forefront through statements far from reality.”

The State of Law Coalition, Al-Amiri stressed, did not possess the parliament’s majority.

“There are numerous Iraqi official figures with lots of previous suspicions plots, some of whom one of the major reasons behind the fall of the Iraqi state,” the Islamist said.

Al-Maliki was recently reported to have been facing corruption charges of billions of dollars, in addition to charges related to the fall of the Mosul province during his tenure.

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