According to Kordpress, in developments that can be considered a turning point in Iraq's politics after 2003, a trans-religious coalition consisting of several figures of the new generation of this country's politics has been able to advance the process of electing the president by overcoming the opposition of the two traditional poles of power, namely Masoud Barzani and Nouri al-Maliki, and has paved the way for the extension of the prime ministership of Mohammad Shia al-Sudani.

In the meeting of April 11, 2026, the Iraqi Parliament elected Nazar Amidi from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as the president by securing the two-thirds quorum; an action that was carried out despite the boycott of the meeting by the currents close to Barzani and Maliki. From the eyes of observers, this event was not just a ceremonial choice, but a sign of the reduction of the power of traditional currents to veto major decisions in Baghdad.

Who does the new coalition include?

The main core of this emerging block consists of five main players:

Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq

Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

Qais Al-Khazali, Secretary General of Asaib Ahl al-Haq

Mohammad Al-Halbousi, a prominent Sunni figure

Ammar Al-Hakim, the leader of the national wisdom movement

Over the past two years, this group has come to the conclusion that cooperation beyond ethnic and religious lines has more benefits for them than remaining in the traditional frameworks of power.

The next goal: the extension of the Sudanese prime ministership

According to political assessments in Baghdad, the agreement to elect the president was part of a two-stage deal: first, handing over the presidency to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and then supporting Sudani's retention in the position of prime minister.

Since the election of the prime minister only requires a simple majority, the success of this coalition in passing the barrier of electing the president - which required a higher quorum - has greatly reduced the chances of the Sudanese opposition to prevent his second term as prime minister.

Changing the traditional balance of power

In the past two decades, the political structure of Iraq was mainly governed by intra-Shia agreements and then power-sharing among Shia, Kurds and Sunnis. But now there are signs that this mechanism is eroding.

If the future prime minister is determined only through parliamentary arrangements and trans-religious coalitions, one of the main pillars of the post-Saddam political order will undergo transformation.

Weakening old players like Al-Maliki and Barzani

This report also shows that Nouri al-Maliki's influence among the Shia parties and the traditional ability of the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by Masoud Barzani to determine the equations of Baghdad have decreased.

In the Shiite front, the opposition of figures such as Khazali, Hakim and Al-Sudani to the return of Maliki has revealed the gap in the coordination framework. On the Kurdish front, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is no longer willing to accept the role of a second-rate partner to the Kurdistan Democratic Party and seeks to play an independent role at the national level.

Regional and domestic consequences

This new bloc is not only an electoral coalition, but is consolidating its position at different levels of power from local governments to parliament and central institutions. The cooperation of this trend in provinces like Kirkuk and Salahuddin is considered as an example of this trend.

If this trend continues, Iraq may enter a stage where power will no longer be distributed based on the veto of traditional actors, but more flexible, pragmatic and multi-ethnic coalitions will be decisive.

Sudani's possible return to the prime ministership is not the most important news in Iraq; rather it is a sign of the emergence of a new political order that can transform the architecture of power in this country after more than two decades. The coalition of the new generation of Iraqi politicians has now shown that it is capable of shaping political results without the consent of the traditional power centers.