ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was reelected leader of the Islamic Dawa Party during the party’s general conference on Saturday, preserving his longstanding grip on one of Iraq’s oldest and most influential Shitte Islamist movements.
The announcement was made via Maliki's Afaq Media network, which said that the conference had “unanimously voted to renew confidence” in Maliki as the party’s secretary-general - a position he has held since 2007.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani congratulated Maliki on his reelection.
“The renewal of confidence in His Excellency reflects the distinguished political service and role he has demonstrated, which deserves appreciation and respect,” read a statement from his office.
Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji also extended his congratulations, wishing “further success and guidance to this historic and striving party and to its secretary-general.”
Founded in 1957 in Najaf by prominent Shiite clerics including Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr - father-in-law of Muqtada al-Sadr - the Islamic Dawa Party was a leading underground movement opposing Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime. It was banned in the 1980s and many of its leaders were forced into exile.
“Since its founding, the party has followed a clear path and a long journey of sacrifice and struggle in defense of the rights of the Iraqi people and the vital causes of the nation,” the party stated via Afaq Media. It credited party founder Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and other members for resisting Baathist dictatorship until the regime's fall in 2003.
Following the United States-led invasion, Dawa entered Iraq’s political mainstream, eventually dominating the government through the State of Law Coalition under Maliki’s leadership.
Maliki’s tenure as prime minister from 2006 to 2014 was defined by an increasingly authoritarian style of governance. His centralization of power, particularly over the security forces, and allegations of sectarian favoritism alienated many Sunni and Kurdish groups while deepening his alliance with Iran.
His reputation was further damaged after the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014, when Iraqi forces collapsed in the face of the threat. The defeat prompted both domestic and international condemnation, leading to Haider al-Abadi replacing Maliki as prime minister.
Despite the criticism of him, Maliki has remained a central figure in Iraqi politics. His State of Law Coalition now forms a key bloc within the Coordination Framework, the main Shitte alliance backing the current government led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. While Sudani is no longer a Dawa member, he was nominated for the premiership by Maliki’s coalition and remains politically close.
Maliki’s leadership, however, continues to face internal resistance. Abadi has emerged as a persistent critic. In 2018, Abadi broke away from Dawa to form his own party, the Nasr Coalition, accusing Maliki of undermining national stability and fostering division.
