Baghdad, Iraq – Osama al-Nujaifi, Secretary-General of the United Iraqi Alliance, categorically denied on Monday the reports circulating about the formation of a preparatory committee or body representing the Sunni community under his leadership. He asserted that these reports were completely unfounded. Al-Nujaifi’s media office also stated in an official statement that what some media outlets and social media platforms had published and circulated regarding this matter was “fabricated and baseless.”
The statement affirmed that al-Nujaifi “would not hesitate to issue a clear and official statement” regarding any political stance that warranted it. It called upon the media and various public figures to exercise the utmost accuracy and professionalism in reporting the news. It also urged them to refer exclusively to his media office for inquiries concerning any matter related to his political activities.
This denial comes in response to media reports circulating in recent days. These reports spoke of accelerated efforts to form a new Sunni political movement modeled after the Shiite “Coordination Framework.” They also suggested that Najafi would lead it, with the participation of prominent figures who have recently been out of the public eye, such as Rafi al-Issawi, Dhafer al-Ani, and Qasim al-Fahdawi. Additionally, there is the possibility of politician Mishaan al-Jubouri joining. Furthermore, there are reports of regional support to enable the entity to cope with the changing Iraqi landscape.
In a related context, the same reports reviewed the current Sunni political landscape, which is divided among three main poles: the “Progress Party” led by Mohammed al-Halbousi, the “Sovereignty Alliance” led by Khamis al-Khanjar, and the “Azm Alliance” led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, whose movement faces structural challenges. The reports also pointed to two political tracks being pursued by Sunni forces under regional auspices. The first involves aligning with the federal government to control weapons. The second focuses on bridging differences with Kurdish forces to shape the political options for the next phase in the country.