Iraq is taking its first steps towards forming a new government. The ruling parties however are still deadlocked over who will be the next president and prime minister.
On December 29 parliament convened and elected Haibat al-Halbusi from former speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi’s Taqadum Party as the new speaker. The two are cousins. This was after a dispute within the Sunni National Political Council where Azm leader Muthanna al-Samarriae temporarily broke with Halbusi and tried to run for speaker but then withdrew.
Mohammed al-Halbusi has coveted the speakership since losing it in 2024. The Sunni parties have been deeply divided for years and he faced a lot of opposition. Now his cousin is in the office so he can influence parliament by proxy.
Adnan al-Dulaimi from Asaib Ahl Al-Haq’s Sadiqoun list was elected 1st deputy speaker. This was a major victory for the party that won 27 seats in the 2025 election tying for 3rd place. Asaib Ahl Al-Haq is part of the pro-Iran Resistance but has been focusing far more upon gaining positions within the government than attacking the U.S., the Kurds or Israel in recent years. It now has a leadership position in parliament.
Iraqi News reported this was a victory for Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani who backed Dulaimi over another candidate supported by Nouri al-Maliki who is vying for the premiership.
December 30 Farhad Arushi of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won the 2nd deputy speakership. The KDP is the dominant party in Kurdistan now and wants to hold all the major Kurdish position in the country. This was another step in this process.
Parliament is now supposed to elect a president who will then name the next prime minister. This is proving difficult because the presidency has gone to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) since 2005. The KDP wants the position now. The two Kurdish parties will have to court the Shiites to determine the winner. The KDP effectively runs the Kurdistan Regional Government which has been in disputes with Baghdad for years now over its oil policy and the budget. The PUK on the other hand is close to Iran and can play that card. Who will come out on top is still up in the air.
Who will be the next prime minister is still in dispute as well. The ruling Coordination Framework originally said it was considering a range of candidates but now admits Sudani and Maliki are the major candidates. The Framework is discussing whether it wants a PM that will be subordinate or one that can provide leadership as Iraq is in a very difficult situation facing US sanctions and possible military strikes by America or Israel over the pro-Iran Resistance factions.
The Framework is worried that Sudani has become too independent. He has tried to create his own political base and did not run with the Framework in the election only rejoining it when he did not get as many seats as he was hoping for in the election. Maliki on the other hand became an autocrat when he was in power using the government and security forces to go after his political opponents and filling the government with loyalists. That helped lead to the revival of the insurgency and the fall of Mosul in 2014. Neither is the type of politician that the Framework could control yet they are the only serious candidates.
In mid-December Maliki floated former ex-PM Haider al-Abadi to return to office as a way to undermine Sudani. It’s unlikely that Maliki would follow through with this move however as he and Abadi were rivals and Maliki would not have control over him if he were to return to the premiership.
All together this means many more days of discussions between the ruling parties before a new government is finalized.
SOURCES
Al Alam, “Creating New Positions and Rotating Ministries: Inside the Formation of the Ninth Government,” 12/30/25
- “The struggle for the premiership within the Shiite Framework: Al-Maliki pushes a “former opponent” to prevent Al-Sudani from securing a second term,” 12/16/25
Bas News, “Iraq Elects Parliament Speaker, Deputy Speaker,” 12/29/25
Kurdistan 24, “Farhad Atrushi of KDP Elected Second Deputy Speaker of Iraqi Parliament,” 12/30/25
Al Mada, “Al-Abadi returns to the race for prime minister amid rising fears of “belt-tightening” measures,” 12/27/25
- “The premiership is between al-Sudani and al-Maliki: the absence of other contenders and a decision in February,” 12/16/25
The National, “Iraq’s parliament elects Habit Al Halbousi as speaker,” 12/29/25
The National Context, “Iraq’s Consensus System Faces a Floor Vote It Wasn’t Built For,” 12/27/25
- “A Prime Minister or a Tea-Server? Inside Iraq’s Post-Election Shia Power Struggle,” 12/28/25
NINA, “First Deputy Speaker of Parliament: Political Forces Adhered to Constitutional Timelines," 12/29/25
Al-Samarraie, Jawad, “Political shift in Baghdad: Al-Sudani outmaneuvers Al-Maliki in parliament leadership race,” Iraqi News, 12/30/25
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