Daijiworld Media Network - Baghdad

Baghdad, Jan 25: Iraqi former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki is poised for a return to power after being nominated as the next premier by an alliance of Shia political blocs that hold a majority in parliament.

The Shia Coordination Framework said on Saturday that it had selected the 75-year-old leader of the Islamic Dawa Party as its nominee, citing his “political and administrative experience and his role in managing the state”.

A key figure in Iraqi politics, al-Maliki first became prime minister in 2006, at a time when the country was grappling with intense violence following the United States-led invasion in 2003. He stepped down in 2014 after ISIL (ISIS) seized large swathes of Iraqi territory, but has since remained influential, heading the State of Law coalition and maintaining close ties with Iran-backed factions.

His nomination opens the door for negotiations to form a new government, which will face the challenge of managing powerful armed groups aligned with Iran, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq, while also dealing with increasing pressure from Washington to dismantle such militias.

Al-Maliki remains the only Iraqi leader to have served two consecutive terms as prime minister since the US-led invasion. Over the years, he managed to balance relations with both Tehran and Washington, emerging as a key powerbroker whose support is often seen as crucial for any governing coalition.

Despite his continued influence, al-Maliki has faced long-standing accusations of fuelling sectarian divisions and failing to prevent ISIL from capturing large parts of the country a decade ago.

He spent nearly 25 years in exile for opposing the rule of former president Saddam Hussein before returning to Iraq after the 2003 invasion. He later served on the de-Baathification commission that barred members of Saddam’s Baath Party from public office, a US-backed programme widely criticised for sidelining thousands of experienced civil servants and contributing to post-invasion instability.