Can the New Sunni Coalition in Iraq Succeed, Like the Shiite Framework?

In a significant political development in Iraq, the Unified Sunni Leadership Coalition has emerged following a meeting of most Sunni political forces and parties, securing 40 seats in parliament. This coalition has become the largest bloc, surpassing other Sunni groups that hold around 34 seats.

The coalition includes key figures such as current Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, al-Siyada leader Khamis al-Khanjar, Azm Alliance leader Muthanna al-Samarrai, al-Jamahir al-Wataniya party leader Ahmed al-Jubouri (Abu Mazen), and Initiative (al-Mubadara) Bloc leader Ziyad al-Janabi.

The coalition was officially formed on January 7, 2025, following a call by Mashhadani. However, it did not include other prominent Sunni leaders such as Mohammed al-Halbousi, the leader of the Progress Party, Thabit al-Abbasi from the “Determination Alliance,” and Jamal al-Dhari from the Iraqi National Project Party.

Legal Representative

In a defining moment for Iraq's political landscape, Mohammad Salman, a prominent leader in the al-Siyada (Sovereignty) Alliance, declared that the newly formed “Unified Sunni Leadership Coalition” is the “legitimate and true representative of Iraq’s Sunni community. He stressed that the coalition was established at a pivotal time to address both internal and external challenges facing the country.

Speaking to Alssaa news on January 10, Salman described the formation of the coalition as a reflection of the “proactive maturity” of Sunni leaders and a clear sign of a unified Iraqi vision. He assured that the coalition's stance on domestic and regional issues would be firm and transparent.

Salman emphasized the coalition’s commitment to supporting the state, security forces, national unity, and the rights of Iraq's Sunni Arabs, as outlined in the political agreement and the current government's agenda.

He underscored that the coalition’s formation was essential to prevent fragmentation within the Sunni community, ensuring unity and national interest instead of scattering the group into ineffective factions.

On January 11, leaders of the new coalition held a consultative meeting to outline their platform, which adheres to the principles of the political agreement that shaped the current government. This includes advocating for the rights of liberated Sunni cities, such as passing an amnesty law, facilitating the return of displaced persons, and ending the legacy of accountability and justice while promoting a balance in state institutions.

The coalition also reaffirmed Iraq’s unity and the importance of social cohesion in the face of ongoing challenges. It emphasized dialogue with other political blocs to discuss the country’s future and next steps.

In terms of regional interactions, the coalition voiced its support for Syria’s new administration and praised Lebanon’s resolution of its presidential vacuum with the election of General Joseph Aoun as president.

Regarding the Israeli aggression against Gaza and the West Bank, the coalition reiterated its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, calling for an immediate end to the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.

On January 7, the al-Siyada (Sovereignty) Alliance issued a statement confirming that the coalition would address humanitarian, legal, and political issues for the Sunni community across Iraq, with a detailed program to be unveiled in due course.

Preparation Phase

Regarding the possibility of this coalition becoming the political reference for Sunnis, similar to the Shiite Coordination Framework, Iraqi researcher Ali al-Masari dismissed the idea.

“The Sunni community believes their reference point is the state and its leadership, not religious clerics or political movements, unlike the Shiite approach,” he told Al-Estiklal.

“The Sunni public follows the office-holder, considering them their leader. This is why we saw that al-Halbousi did not attend the meeting or join the Unified Sunni Coalition, to avoid being seen as subordinate to the Speaker of Parliament, like other leaders.”

The researcher argued that “al-Halbousi claims to be the leader of the Sunni community and politically leads it, but the existence of such a coalition means that Sunni decisions will be out of his control. As a result, he risks losing his popular, political, and public standing.”

However, al-Masari doubted that "the current coalition would have a significant impact on the Sunni reality, particularly regarding the approval of laws agreed upon in the political agreement document.”

“The remaining time for the current government and parliament may not be enough to accomplish all of this, as the next elections are set for October 2025.”

In the same vein, Iraqi writer Amer al-Qaisi stated that “Khamis al-Khanjar [leader of the Sovereignty Alliance] is keen to promote the new coalition on a broader national scale. The day after its formation, he met in Erbil [capital of the Kurdistan Region] with Masoud Barzani [leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party].”

In an article published on Kitabat last week, al-Qaisi said, “Information has leaked about al-Khanjar's intention to approach key Shiite figures who understand the reasons behind the formation of the new Sunni coalition and are willing to cooperate to achieve common goals.”

Regarding the absence of other Sunni forces from joining the coalition, the Iraqi writer noted that “some are marginal or merely subsidiary factions that depend on Mohammed al-Halbousi, who was removed from his position as Speaker due to a corruption charge. For this and other offenses, he is unfit to represent the Sunnis.”

In November 2023, the Iraqi Federal Court, the country's highest judicial authority, ruled to remove al-Halbousi from his position as Speaker due to his involvement in forging a dismissal request for a lawmaker, which he used to unlawfully terminate the deputy's membership in the legislature.

‘A Sunni Framework’

The new movement within the Sunni arena is part of ongoing conflicts among the same factions striving for political leadership of the Sunni community.

In April 2023, al-Halbousi led an effort to establish a “Sunni Coordination Framework” similar to the Shiite one, which includes all Shiite forces except for the Sadrist movement, led by Muqtada al-Sadr.

While some at the time spoke of al-Halbousi’s attempt to confront the Shiite forces and push for the implementation of Sunni demands that the government had failed to address, his opponents saw it as an attempt to find a lifeline amid growing calls for his removal from the Speaker's position.

Al-Halbousi invited current and former Sunni political leaders, including Salim al-Jabouri, Osama al-Nujaifi, Saleh al-Mutlaq, Khamis al-Khanjar, Rafi al-Issawi, Jamal al-Karboli, Muthanna al-Samarrai, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, and others to a meeting at his residence in Baghdad, according to Shafaq News sources.

The agency noted on April 10, 2023, that the purpose of al-Halbousi’s invitation was to discuss the possibility of forming a Sunni coordination framework capable of politically confronting the Shiite framework and enforcing the implementation of the political demands of the Sunni faction, after uniting the Sunni camp under one roof, as the Shiites have done.

The agency further reported that the majority of prominent Sunni leaders rejected the idea of forming the Sunni coordination framework and informed al-Halbousi of their decision, with most of them boycotting the meeting. Nevertheless, al-Halbousi continued his efforts to persuade as many leaders as possible to attend.

His efforts to form the “Sunni Coordination Framework” were seen as an attempt to create a political pressure force to support him in retaining his position as Speaker of Parliament, following discussions among various Sunni parties, Shiite blocs, and independent MPs about the possibility of removing him at the time, as per Shafaq News.