ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Leaders of Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework are set to convene their weekly meeting on Monday, continuing discussions on naming the country’s next prime minister.

The process of forming Iraq’s next government is underway, with the country’s top political parties continuing negotiations on filling the top posts in Baghdad.

Amer al-Faiz, a Sunni lawmaker who is set to chair the first session of the new Iraqi parliament as the eldest elected member of the legislature, told The New Region that the Framework’s Monday meeting “may determine the fate of the prime minister's selection.”

The acting speaker said that the upcoming meeting, set to be held at the office of Former Prime Minister and State of Law Coalition Leader Nouri al-Maliki, will aim to “bring viewpoints closer and address any existing differences in order to ensure that the nomination comes out in a timely manner and reflects the will of all parties.”

The Framework shortlisted nine candidates for the next prime minister following the November elections, which included current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, former premiers Maliki and Haider al-Abadi, National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji, and intelligence chief Hamid al-Shatri.

“Dialogue between the parties is still ongoing and there is a collective will to overcome any obstacles or disagreements. The ultimate goal is to reach an agreement on a prime minister who is sufficiently accepted by the various political forces and achieves stability in the political process in the country,” Faiz noted.

Iraq’s new parliament is set to hold its first session on December 29.

The Coordination Framework, an umbrella bloc of Shiite parties, was formed in 2022, mainly to challenge Muqatada al-Sadr’s attempts at forming a national majority government. The Framework nominated Sudani for prime minister in October 2022, following the withdrawal of Sadr from the political process, and has been the main power-holder in the Iraqi government since.

On the other hand, leaders from Iraq's top Sunni political forces were set to meet on Sunday to continue discussion on naming the next Speaker of Parliament – a post which is traditionally reserved for the Sunnis and must be decided during the first session of parliament.

Ammar al-Azzawi, a senior member of Iraq’s Sovereignty Alliance, told The New Region that it is still not confirmed if the Sunni National Political Council will hold its session on Sunday, while denying reports about the existence of splits within the coalition.

Azzawi said they have narrowed down the choice of the parliament speaker to two candidates: Azm Alliance leader Muthanna al-Samarrai, and Taqadum Party leader Mohammed al-Halbousi.

Modeled after the Shiite Coordination Framework, the National Political Council is an umbrella group of Sunni parties, announced in late November by leaders of the main Sunni parties from the November elections.