Iraqi PM designate seeks to secure political backing for new government

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi began his first official steps on Wednesday to secure political backing for his anticipated government.

Al-Zaidi held separate meetings with State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki, Badr Organization Secretary-General Hadi al-Amiri, and National Wisdom Movement leader Ammar al-Hakim, according to statements issued by the Iraqi prime minister's office.

During his meeting with al-Maliki, al-Zaidi stressed "the need for all political forces to unite efforts to expedite the formation of a national government that meets the aspirations of Iraqis across the country."

Al-Maliki's coalition has 29 seats in the 329-seat parliament, making it the second-largest bloc within the Coordination Framework after the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, led by current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, which holds 46 seats.

In a separate meeting, al-Zaidi and al-Amiri discussed "the importance of strengthening cooperation among all political forces and intensifying efforts" to form a national government.

The Badr Organization holds 18 parliamentary seats, giving it significant influence.

During talks with al-Hakim, whose bloc holds 14 seats, both sides emphasized "the need for all political forces to intensify efforts to accelerate the formation of a national government that fulfills the needs of Iraqis across all regions."

Through these meetings, al-Zaidi is seeking to secure at least 61 parliamentary votes, representing about 37% of the 165 votes required to win parliamentary confidence.

On Monday, Iraqi President Nizar Amidi tasked al-Zaidi with forming a new government after the Coordination Framework, the largest parliamentary bloc, picked him for premiership.

Under Iraq's power-sharing system, the presidency is allocated to the Kurdish component, currently held by Amidi, while the prime minister's post is reserved for the Shiite component and the parliament speakership for the Sunni component, currently held by Haibat al-Halbousi.