Former Iraqi parliament speaker rejects Maliki’s nomination for prime minister

“Mohammed al-Halbousi, leader of the Taqaddum Party and former Speaker of the Iraqi parliament, has renewed his rejection of the nomination put forward by the Shiite Coordination Framework for Nouri al-Maliki to form Iraq’s new government.”

In an interview with Dijlah Television, Halbousi said that Iraqis had a “bitter experience” with Maliki. He added that Iraq needs a Shiite candidate for prime minister who is open to partners and to Iraq’s Arab surroundings, stressing that the Shiite community has many alternatives.

Halbousi said the country has not overcome the problems of the Maliki era even after ten years. He added that Iraq needs a figure with strong links to the international community and the Arab region, noting that Maliki has disputes with many sides. Iraq, he said, needs calm and a new political experience, as people are worried about the challenges surrounding the country.

He repeated that the experience with Maliki was bitter, while saying that Shiite choices should be respected. However, he said there were serious concerns if Maliki were to become commander-in-chief of the armed forces, given the scale of regional and global challenges.

Halbousi also denied threatening to boycott the political process. He said he only rejected taking part in a government formed by Maliki, adding that US messages about Iraq’s future and Iraqi-US relations were clear. He said new options should be considered for naming a prime minister, claiming that the Americans believed there had been Iranian interference in pushing for Maliki’s return.

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