ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework is set to hold a meeting on Sunday and discuss the process of electing the country’s next president and prime minister, as Baghdad continues facing a political deadlock in the government formation process.

The Framework’s meeting will discuss “the presidential nomination and the prime ministership,” according to Iraq’s state newspaper, coming as Iraq’s government formation process is facing a political deadlock, with the Kurdistan Region's top parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), failing to agree on a unanimous candidate for Iraq’s presidency and growing hesitation within the Shiite camp regarding the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki for the role of prime minister following Washington’s veto.

The Framework’s meeting is expected to yield “positive results” and lead to the formation of a “consensus government acceptable to national forces and religious authorities, while taking into account regional and international circumstances,” Mohammed Hassan al-Saadi, a member of the Coordination Framework, told the state-run Al-Sabah newspaper.

Mustafa Abdul-Hadi, a member of the Al-Asas Coalition, told Al-Sabah that all national forces should “bear their national responsibilities and adhere to the constitutional timelines and deadlines,” noting that the Framework is “explicitly committed” to these deadlines.

He urged all Kurdish political forces to “expedite the resolution of the presidential appointment issue during the upcoming parliamentary session.”

Monday’s parliamentary session does not include presidential election on its agenda.

Salah al-Dulaimi from the Azm Alliance noted that the political force supports a “Kurdish consensus” regarding the presidency candidate, noting that a “Kurdish majority” stance will be supported should the Kurdish forces enter the race with more than one candidate.

Meanwhile, Dulaimi confirmed the Alliance’s position to support any candidate chosen by the ruling Framework.

Also on Sunday, a meeting of Iraq’s State Administration Coalition will be chaired by incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and attended by other top figures, including PUK leader Bafel Talabani. 

Kurdistan Region President and KDP Vice President Nechirvan Barzani  was reportedly set to participate, but will not be in attendance, The New Region learned late Saturday.

The Iraqi presidency, traditionally reserved for Kurds, is constitutionally required to be settled by the parliament within 30 days of the new legislature's first session, with the deadline having passed in this case on January 28.

The KDP has nominated current Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, while the PUK has fielded Nizar Amedi, Iraq’s former environment minister and head of the party’s Baghdad office. The incumbent President Abdul Latif Rashid, a senior PUK member, is running independently. Lawmaker Muthanna Amin, meanwhile, is representing Kurdish opposition parties in the race.

Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework last week announced that it will keep Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition and Iraq’s former prime minister, as its nominee for the country’s next premier, despite US President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington will no longer help Baghdad if Maliki is elected, criticizing his “insane policies and ideologies.”