In a telephone call on Sunday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani congratulated Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law coalition and former Iraqi prime minister, on his candidacy for the post of federal prime minister.

“The Prime Minister wished him success in beginning a new phase to serve all Iraqi citizens and to resolve the issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government on the basis of the Constitution and respect for the Kurdistan Region’s federal status,” the KRG readout said.

The Iraqi parliamentary elections took place on November 11, 2025, during which al-Maliki’s State of Law coalition won 29 seats. Last Saturday, the Shi’a majority Coordination Framework announced it had picked al-Maliki as its candidate for the position of prime minister after months of deliberation. 

Al-Maliki became prime minister in 2006, and stepped down in 2014 after ISIS seized large swathes of Iraqi territory. Nevertheless, he remained a major political player in the country.

President Masoud Barzani on Saturday also welcomed the decision of the Coordination Framework to nominate al-Maliki as a candidate for the position of prime minister of Iraq.

“On this occasion, we congratulate Mr. al-Maliki on his nomination for the position, wishing him success and prosperity. We affirm that we will support him in addressing issues and disputes, and in overcoming the obstacles and challenges facing the country.”

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 27 seats in the federal elections with more than 1.1 million votes, becoming the party with the most votes in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. As a result, the KDP has considerable weight in the ongoing government formation process in Iraq.