Khaberni - Nouri Al-Maliki, the leader of the Iraqi State of Law Coalition, confirmed on Saturday that he "will proceed in adopting the will of the people and their right to choose their political system and leaders," indicating that he "will not squander" the Iraqi people's right to choose whom they trust.
According to the Iraqi official news agency (INA), Al-Maliki said, "What the successive elections have produced affirms that the Iraqi people and their institutions concerned with state-building have embraced the values of democracy, freedom, and political partnership. From this standpoint, we emphasize that we will not abandon this achievement, nor will we squander the Iraqi people's right to choose whom they trust and see as capable of leading the stage."
He continued, "We respect our national will and independent decision, and we look forward to others respecting this decision just as we respect their will in managing their affairs."
Al-Maliki added, "Choosing our government and leaders is a national affair that must be respected, just as we respect the choices of others. In this spirit, we look forward to establishing balanced political, economic, and security relations with all regional and major countries, especially those that have cooperated with us and those that will cooperate in the future, based on partnership and mutual interests, devoid of any interference or negative relations."
Al-Maliki, on Friday, discussed with the acting American diplomat Joshua Harris, the ongoing dialogues among the political forces towards the formation of the remaining presidencies, and the Coordination Framework's vision for the path of the upcoming government.
