Government formation stalemate deepens

“There is an expectation that Maliki will step aside very soon,” the PUK official said. “Most leaders within the Coordination Framework have reached the conclusion that they cannot proceed with his nomination.”

Those who think Sudani is not going to be nominated are expecting the Framework to instead choose a lesser-known figure, likely one who has some government experience but who is not a senior leader in any of the major factions.