BAGHDAD, April 21: Jawad al Maliki, an aide to embattled Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, was named on Friday to take over as premier by Iraq’s dominant Shia coalition, in a move which could pave the way to forming a new government.

Mr Maliki, the number two in the Dawa party after Mr Jaafari and mouthpiece for the Shia political force, was chosen as their candidate by six of the seven leaders in the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA).

“Six of the seven leaders of the Shia alliance member parties gave their consent in favour of Maliki” at a UIA meeting, said MP Baseem Sharif, a spokesman for the Fadhila Party, the only group not to support him.

But he said his party would not oppose Mr Maliki’s candidacy.

A few hours earlier Mr Maliki emerged as the clear frontrunner after his was the only name presented to the seven leaders at their meeting by the Dawa Party.

Dawa legislator Hassan al Senaed said that ‘no other candidacy has been presented and no other faction from the UIA presented an objection ...

“In principle, the UIA will finalise Maliki’s candidacy tomorrow,” Mr Senaed said in reference to an official motion expected to be adopted by the alliance’s 130 members on Saturday. Mr Maliki’s rival from the Dawa Party, Ali al Adeeb, who was also named as a possible contender for the premiership earlier in the day, was not mentioned at the Shia leaders’ negotiations.—AFP