Nouri al-Maliki, the former two-term prime minister of Iraq, has been nominated to lead the country once again by the main Shiite political bloc in parliament. The nomination positions him for a return to power more than a decade after he left office amid accusations of sectarianism, corruption, and the security collapse that led to the rise of the Islamic State (IS) group.
A dominant figure in Iraqi politics since the 2003 US-led invasion, Maliki, 75, has remained an influential powerbroker. His approval has often been considered essential for the formation of previous governing coalitions.
Maliki’s political career began with his opposition to Saddam Hussein’s rule, leading to nearly 25 years in exile in Iran and Syria as a member of the Islamic Dawa party. He returned to Iraq following the 2003 invasion and was a member of the de-Baathification commission, a controversial program that barred many members of Saddam’s Baath party from public roles and is often cited as a factor in the subsequent insurgency.
He was first appointed prime minister in 2006 during the height of Iraq’s sectarian war. During his first term, and with American military support, he launched a major offensive against the armed group of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in 2008, which earned him a reputation as a nationalist figure. His first term also saw the withdrawal of US forces in late 2011 and an increase in the country’s oil production.
However, his second term, after being re-elected in 2010, was marked by political crises and a severe deterioration in national security. Critics accused Maliki of consolidating power within the security forces, discriminating against Sunni Arabs and Kurds, and fostering corruption.
This period culminated in the 2014 offensive by the Islamic State group, during which the Iraqi army collapsed and the jihadist group seized large territories, including the city of Mosul. A 2015 parliamentary investigation held Maliki and other officials responsible for the fall of the city. Widespread discontent and international pressure ultimately forced him from office.
Despite this, Maliki has never left the political scene. As the leader of the State of Law Coalition, he has continued to be a key figure in forming parliamentary alliances and selecting candidates for senior government positions.
