BAGHDAD, IRAQ — Iraq's Coordination Framework, the largest bloc of Shia parties holding 185 of 329 seats in parliament, postponed a decision on Tuesday to name a prime minister, pushing further consultations up against a constitutional deadline that falls on Sunday. Under Article 76 of the Iraqi Constitution, the president must ask the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc to form a government within 15 days of being elected, and President Nizar Amedi was elected on April 11.

Iraqi leaders now have five days to agree on a candidate, ending a political crisis that has continued for more than five months since parliamentary elections. In January, the Coordination Framework nominated two-time Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has close links with Iran, as its candidate. US President Donald Trump threatened to stop supporting Iraq if al-Maliki returned to the post. Internal differences have since emerged within the Framework between the Hikma Movement, led by Ammar al-Hakim, and the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Movement, led by Qais al-Khazali.

On Monday, the State of Law Coalition nominated Bassem al-Badry, chairman of the Accountability and Justice Commission, while the Reconstruction and Development Coalition nominated Ihsan al-Awadi, director of the office of caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. Ismail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, and Tom Barrack, the US envoy to the Middle East, both visited Baghdad.

"Our candidate, Bassem al-Badry, is considered the frontrunner due to the support he enjoys compared to Ihsan al-Awadi, the candidate of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition," State of Law Coalition member Hider al-Mola said. "The balance is clearly tipping in favour of al-Badry," he added. According to al-Mola, Iran's role is limited to supporting whatever Iraqi political blocs agree on, and Tehran is concerned about political stability in Iraq.

Khaled Walid said al-Badry's supporters failed to secure the quorum at the Coordination Framework meeting, defined as two-thirds of bloc members. The State of Law Coalition contends the quorum should be based on the 12 Coordination Framework leaders, while the Reconstruction and Development Coalition argues it should be based on the bloc's parliamentarians. Walid said al-Badry did not meet either benchmark and that his supporters number fewer than 60 MPs, insufficient to secure a parliamentary confidence vote. He also said meetings between al-Sudani and al-Maliki have failed to reach a consensus.

Walid said external influence on government formation has diminished due to the war between the US and Iran, though some pressure remains regarding the US shipment of dollars to Iraq. According to Iraqi and US officials, the US halted shipments of dollars to Iraq and paused some security cooperation programs with the Iraqi military. Saif al-Saadi said Qaani's visit sought to ease regional tensions as Washington tried to block Iran-aligned leaders from forming the government.

Walid said some smaller political groups have begun considering a compromise candidate from a previously discussed second-tier list. That list includes Ali al-Shukry, head of the advisory body in the presidency; Qasim al-Araji, national security adviser; Hamid al-Shatri, intelligence chief; Abdul-Hussein Abtan, former youth and sports minister; and Interior Minister Abdul-Amir al-Shammari. Under Iraq's power-sharing system, implemented since 2003, the presidency goes to the Kurds, the premiership to Shia Arabs, and the post of parliament speaker to Sunnis.