The leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nuri al-Maliki, spoke about the relations between the Iraqi and Kurdistan Region governments, as well as the disarmament of Shiite armed groups.
Referring to the presence of armed groups, Maliki said: “The armed groups are ready to come under the control of the government and to hand over their heavy weapons.”
As for the Iraqi elections, Maliki added: “The Coordination Framework has set its criteria for the new prime minister. However, no decision has been made yet on whether the current prime minister (Sudani) will not serve another term.”
Speaking about the tensions between the Iraqi and Kurdistan Region governments, Maliki said: “The conflicts between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region cannot be resolved through temporary agreements. What is needed are laws and a political process following the elections. To resolve such conflicts, one must go to the Kurdistan Region.”
Maliki continued: “We do not want to be part of the conflict between Iran and the United States; we want to act as mediators. Iraq will not be part of the Abraham Accords or any security agreement made with Israel.”
Nuri al-Maliki is expected to travel to Hewlêr (Erbil) today to meet with KDP and Kurdistan Region officials to discuss the formation of the new Iraqi government.