Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has publicly accused the current premier, Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, of exploiting state financial resources for electoral purposes, issuing a stark warning that such practices threaten the integrity of the country's fragile democratic process.

In a televised interview with a local Iraqi channel, Maliki, who heads the State of Law Coalition, stated that the Coordination Framework—the powerful coalition of Shia parties that engineered Sudani's rise to power in 2022—had initially agreed that the sitting prime minister should not contest elections while in office.

“The Coordination Framework had a primary condition from the very beginning that the Prime Minister should not participate in electoral competition during his term in office, to prevent the use of state resources for political propaganda,” Maliki said.

He emphasized that this position was endorsed by Iraq’s highest Shia religious authority, which has consistently rejected the use of public wealth or vote-buying in political campaigns.

“Successive governments have not adhered to this condition, including Sudani’s government, which creates an unbalanced situation and turns electoral competition into an unfair one,” Maliki added, highlighting that former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was the only recent exception for refraining from running on his own party list while in power.

The public accusations expose deepening rifts within the Coordination Framework ahead of Iraq’s next parliamentary elections. Maliki revealed that “10 candidates are competing for the prime minister’s position” and asserted that the Coordination Framework would have the final say on the nominee, rejecting any foreign interference.

In a clear message to the incumbent, Maliki stated, “if Sudani does not get the approval of the Coordination Framework, he will not be re-elected,” despite Sudani's bloc being part of the coalition.

Beyond the electoral dispute, Maliki also raised alarms on security, claiming that “27,000 new Ba’ath Party members” are currently active across central and southern Iraq. He further alleged that “Syrian gangs intend to occupy Iraq with the knowledge of [HTS leader Abu Mohammed] al-Jolani,” and expressed strong disapproval of a reported meeting between Prime Minister Sudani and Jolani.

Prime Minister Sudani assumed office in October 2022 following a year of political deadlock after the 2021 elections, backed by the Iran-aligned Coordination Framework, which includes Maliki’s own party. Maliki, who served as premier from 2006 to 2014, remains a key powerbroker within the coalition but has frequently clashed with Sudani’s leadership.