Sunni lawmaker Mohammed al-Karboli said Sunni candidates will have a difficult time facing more dominant Shiite political groups who have far more resources. Al-Maliki is currently vice president; he was prime minister from 2006 to 2014. The breakup came at the behest of Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's elite Quds Force and a key adviser to the Shiite militias, two senior Shiite politicians said. If they do well enough, they plan to propose al-Amri, the Badr Brigade leader, for prime minister, he said. The prime minister position is reserved for Shiites under an unofficial agreement dating back to 2003.

Source: ABC News February 25, 2018 06:33 UTC