The Iraqi Forces Alliance, which includes many Sunni representatives and the presidency of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, announced their support for what they described as the Shiite political blocs agreeing to nominate the head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, as prime minister, to replace Adnan Zorfi.

The coalition of forces led by Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Al-Halbousi said in a statement that he places in his interests that the candidate for prime minister be accepted and supported by the political component responsible for the nomination, and that he enjoys acceptance at the national level.

He referred to "his commitment to the unity of the political class, in order to overcome the difficult stage and the great risks that the country suffers from at the health, security, economic and political levels."

The coalition of forces occupies 40 seats out of the total number of members of the House of Representatives of 329, and was initially supporting the nomination of Zarfi, and the new position would reduce the latter's chances significantly in passing his government in Parliament.

For its part, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq welcomed Al-Kazimi's candidacy for the position of Prime Minister, and called in a statement of all political forces to overcome differences and support Al-Kazemi to form the government as soon as possible.

Al-Zarfi faces opposition from powerful Shiite forces

The nomination document
In a related context, sources from the Office of the President of the Republic announced that major Shiite political forces submitted on Tuesday evening a document bearing the signature of many of these parties, which al-Kazemi nominates as an alternative to al-Zorfi.

The sources said that a number of other Shiite parties refused to sign the document, "which means that the Shiite political consensus for Al-Kazimi's candidacy has not been achieved so far," noting that these parties are awaiting the position of President Barham Saleh of this new nomination.

The director of the Al-Jazeera office in Baghdad, Walid Ibrahim, said that the victory coalition led by former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is still rejecting al-Kazemi's nomination, while other leaders led by the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, and other Sunni blocs, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have not yet determined their position on this nomination.

For his part, the prime minister in charge of forming the government, Adnan Al-Zorfi, said that his candidacy to form the government came with the agreement of many political and representative powers, but he would not be outside the Shiite consensus even if this consensus rejected his candidacy.

Al-Zorfi added that the crisis that Iraq is currently undergoing is great, and that everyone should cooperate to overcome it.

The five Shiite blocs, namely the Alliance of conquest, and the rule of law, and the stream of wisdom, and the mass of the national approach, and the mass of virtue, announced last Sunday the agreement to nominate Al-Kazemi instead of Zarfi to form a government, and it has 106 seats in parliament.

Al-Kazemi, an independent who is not affiliated with any political party, assumed the position of head of the National Intelligence Service in June 2016, during the tenure of Haider al-Abadi as prime minister, and he still holds the position.

Al-Zarfi, a leader in al-Abadi's Al-Nasr coalition, was appointed on March 16 by President Barham Saleh, after the Shiite parties failed to present a candidate, within a specified constitutional deadline of 15 days, after former Prime Minister-designate Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi stepped down as a failure. To persuade the Sunnis and the Kurds to support his cabinet and his government program.

In order for the government to obtain the confidence of Parliament, an absolute majority (50% + 1) is required for the number of members present (not the total number), but Zarrafi's chances in light of the growing opposition seem weak.

If Al-Zrafi does not resign from the task of forming the government, he must wait until the constitutional deadline of 30 days from the date of the mandate has ended, that is, the 17th of this month.

The popular movement forced the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi to submit its resignation in early December 2019.