Iraq's Shiite alliance has agreed on the nomination of Shiite lawmaker Jawad al-Maliki as prime minister, two Shiite officials said Friday. Al-Maliki is a leading member of the Dawa party, which also includes Ibrahim al-Jaafari, whose decision to step down as prime minister Thursday offered hope of breaking the country's political deadlock.
Al-Maliki left Iraq in the 1980s and settled in Syria. His real name is Nouri Kamel, according to Dawa members, but he goes by the name Jawad al-Maliki. He was seen as Dawa's favored choice for the position of prime minister. However, some critics consider him too sectarian, according to alliance members.