From local cooperation to national leverage

The emerging cross-sectarian bloc's trajectory, from its early nucleus through the April 2026 presidential session. Each milestone proved the alignment's capacity and drew in new principals.

Early nucleus

PUK, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Babylon Movement

After Bafel Talabani consolidated control of the PUK, an early understanding formed with Qais al-Khazali and Rayan al-Kildani. The arrangement had multiple anchors from the start, with Khazali bringing Shia weight the PUK alone could not have supplied.

Talabani Khazali Kildani

Local government

Kirkuk governorate formation

Halbousi brought the Sunni component. Bilateral negotiation between Talabani and Halbousi, with Khazali and Kildani as guarantors of a rotational governorship. Halbousi's entry was reinforced by his break with the KDP and the Barzanis.

Talabani Khazali Kildani Halbousi

Parliamentary positions

Speaker and first deputy speakership won

Both posts contested. The Maliki-Barzani camp ran their own candidates: the rival speaker candidate collected 60+ votes, the first deputy rival nearly 100. Both still lost. The bloc was already imposing outcomes before the premiership question arose.

Halbousi bloc: speaker Sadiqun: 1st deputy

Local government

Salahuddin governorship won

The bloc moved against Mustafa al-Samarrai of the Azm movement and stripped his allies of the governorship. Sudani joined at this stage. Halbousi drew in the three-seat Jamahir faction, expanding his column to roughly 40 seats.

Talabani Khazali Halbousi Kildani Sudani

Intra-Shia break

Khazali and Hakim oppose Maliki's return

When the Coordination Framework leaned toward Maliki's renomination, both broke ranks publicly. Shared opposition drew Hakim into the broader bloc. By most accounts, seven of eleven Framework principals now back Sudani.

Khazali Hakim Sudani

Maliki's bid collapses

Sequence of pressures kills the Maliki pathway

Sudani's conditional acceptance, engineered to recoil. Halbousi's threat to refuse government participation. Joint Sunni statement against Maliki. Trump's public veto closing the external pathway.

Sudani Halbousi Khazali Hakim

April 2026

Presidential session forced through

Barzani and Maliki boycotted. Quorum assembled. Nizar Amedi elected president. First leg of the Amedi-for-Sudani bargain completed. Smaller anti-session groupings defected from the boycott camp before the vote.

Full bloc mobilised PUK presidency secured

Next

Sudani tasked as prime minister

Simple majority threshold (50%+1). The bloc holds the numbers. Maliki's veto carries little procedural weight. The second leg of the bargain.

Methodology: This timeline is based on TNC's analysis of parliamentary votes, local government formations, public statements, and reporting from inside the Coordination Framework. New entrants to the bloc at each stage are highlighted. Gold markers indicate the most decisive institutional outcomes. The dashed marker indicates an anticipated outcome not yet completed.