Ali al-Zaidi nominated for Iraqi premiership

Iraq’s main Shia Islamist political coalition has nominated Ali Falih Kadhim al-Zaidi to become the country's next prime minister, breaking weeks of internal deadlock between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The nomination comes one day after the expiration of a 15-day constitutional timer that was initiated by the election of a new Iraqi President, Nizar Amedi, in what was widely seen as a gambit by Sudani to create momentum toward winning a second term. But instead of creating momentum for Sudani, the deadline pressure appeared to deepen a political rift with Maliki, whose staunch opposition forced the coalition to seek a compromise candidate.