Business Standard
Iraq's dominant parliamentary bloc on Monday nominated Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, to be the country's prime minister. The announcement by the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shiite parties allied with Iran, followed a meeting at the government palace. It came after weeks of internal debate among its member parties aimed at selecting a compromise candidate to lead the next government. Even with the backing of the dominant bloc, the new government is not assured of receiving the required number of votes. The coalition had previously said it would back former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who the US administration views as too close to Iran. US President Donald Trump publicly announced his opposition to al-Maliki and threatened to cut off aid to Iraq if he was appointed. While al-Maliki remained defiant after Trump's intervention, the bloc decided to shift to a compromise candidate. In a statement announcing al-Zaidi's nomination, the Coordination
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