The condition for Iraqi Prime Ministerial candidate al-Maliki to withdraw his candidacy

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Kamil al-Maliki, who was nominated for the premiership by the Coordination Framework—a move that drew a harsh reaction from US President Donald Trump and caused tension in US-Iraq relations—has made a statement regarding his candidacy. In an interview with a television channel, al-Maliki stated that he would only abandon his candidacy upon the majority request of the Coordination Framework that nominated him, emphasizing that he would not act according to external pressures.

"Misled"

Evaluating US President Trump's posts opposing his premiership, al-Maliki claimed that Trump had been misled. Without mentioning US President Trump by name, al-Maliki alleged that he was being provoked against by three different countries and certain local groups, stating, "I heard that the post was written in Baghdad, but I have not been able to confirm this yet."

Dismissed sanction claims as "propaganda"

Addressing claims that the US would impose economic sanctions on Iraq if his candidacy continued, al-Maliki argued that these claims did not reflect the truth, stating that such reports were "propaganda" deliberately spread to force him to withdraw from the race.

Trump's statement had caused a crisis

US President Donald Trump had reacted to the decision after the Coordination Framework nominated al-Maliki for the premiership in recent days. Stating that Maliki should not be allowed to be elected, Trump threatened that otherwise, aid to Iraq would be cut off. The statement in question caused a political crisis between Washington and the Baghdad administration.

Following Trump's threats, al-Maliki had announced that he would not give up his candidacy, saying, "Our people's right to choose their own political system and leaders through constitutional institutions is an unshakable principle for us. We trust in this will and we will never take a step back from it."

News Source: 12punto