ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Sadiqoun parliamentary bloc, Asaib Ahl al-Haq's (AAH) political wing, on Saturday urged the State of Law Coalition to control the narratives emanating from media affiliated with it, calling on them to refrain from "political character assassination" amid uncertainty surrounding State of Law leader Nouri al-Maliki's premiership candidacy.

The Sadiqoun movement said in a statement that it "has been monitoring the positions and statements issued by some figures and pages affiliated with the State of Law Coalition. These statements have sparked widespread controversy and, in some aspects, deviated from the responsible approach required by the current stage and the sensitivity of the situation."

The movement affirmed political differences, "particularly regarding the nomination of a candidate for Prime Minister, are natural and legitimate," stressing "the necessity for these differences to remain within ethical and legal frameworks, and to refrain from baseless accusations and attempts at political character assassination."

Iraq's ruling Shiite Coordination Framework in January elected Nouri al-Maliki as its candidate for the post of prime minister. The nomination was promptly rejected by Washington, with US President Donald Trump saying that the US will not help Iraq if Maliki becomes premier, creating a rift in the Iraqi political scene, with Maliki speculating that domestic political actors were involved in the US veto.

The Coordination Framework, of which Sadiqoun and its leader Qais al-Khazali are members, held a meeting days after Trump's words, where it reaffirmed that Maliki will remain its candidate. Figures close to Maliki said, however, that Khazali did not explicitly approve of Maliki's candidacy in the meeting in the wake of the US president's rejection

State of Law-affiliated voices have also pointed the finger at Sunni strongman Mohammed al-Halbousi, leader of the Taqaddum party, for having allegedly been involved in a plot to derail Maliki's candidacy to assume office for a third term.

Maliki previously served two terms as prime minister from 2006 to 2014, stepping down during his second term amid major security setbacks linked to the rise of the Islamic State group and ongoing corruption allegations, factors that continue to shape debate over his potential return to office.

Sadiqoun called on State of Law leaders to "exert more effort in controlling the rhetoric emanating from those affiliated with them, in a manner consistent with the requirements of preserving the unity of the Coordination Framework."

On Saturday evening, the State of Law Coalition released a statement, calling on its affiliates and supporters "to adhere to the spirit of national and professional responsibility in their presentation and expression."

"We must refrain from any transgression or abuse directed at any national political leaders or religious figures, as this has a negative impact on the unity and stability of society. We cannot accept this because our duty is to protect the unity of society, not to compromise it," the coalition further added.

The State of Law Coalition came in third place in Iraq’s recent parliamentary elections, securing 29 seats out of the 329-seat legislature. The other two top parties were the Reconstruction and Development Alliance, led by current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, and the Sunni Taqadum Party, led by Halbousi.