He made the remarks in an interview with AFP on Monday in response to a threat by US President Donald Trump to end all Washington’s support for Iraq if Maliki took the post of prime minister, Press TV reported.
“I have absolutely no intention of withdrawing out of respect for my country, its sovereignty, and its will. No one has the right to say whom we can or cannot vote for,” he said.
“I will not withdraw until the end.”
He said countries have the right to set conditions in their dealings with Iraq.
In January, Iraq’s Coordination Framework, a coalition of Shia parties that holds a parliamentary majority, nominated Maliki to the prime minister post, citing his political and administrative experience.
Trump said Iraq would make a “very bad choice” with Maliki, threatening diplomatic and economic consequences for the country.
Maliki, who heads the Islamic Dawa Party, categorically rejected “blatant US interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.”
Additionally, in his interview, Maliki defended Iraq’s relations with Iran.
Those relations, he said, “rest on the principle that Iraq’s sovereignty is respected” and “shared interests define this relationship.”
He further vowed to prevent attacks on diplomatic missions in Iraq if he becomes the prime minister.
Meanwhile, Maliki said an understanding is “quite possible” with resistance factions.
“There is a good basis for understanding with the factions,” but this cannot happen “through force, war, or confrontations,” he added.
He also said the US demands from Iraq “are our demands. We want weapons in the hands of the state. We want a centralized military force.”
In an X post on February 22, he said Iraq is open to “sound international partnerships,” including with the United States and Europe.
“Our hand is extended for regional and international cooperation and integration for the benefit of the people of the region and the world,” he said.
Maliki served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014 and as vice president between 2014 and 2015 and again from 2016 to 2018.
He maintains close relations with various factions, inc
MNA
