However, since the elections Mr Maliki has been accused of abandoning a consensus-building strategy in favour of concentrating power among his mostly Shia allies. He has also become more closely allied with Iran over issues such as the conflict in Syria. Mr Maliki returned to Iraq from exile after the US-led invasion in that overthrew Saddam Hussein and Dawa soon emerged as a major political force - with Mr Maliki among its vanguard.
He served as a spokesman for the party as well as for the broader coalition of Shia parties, the United Iraqi Alliance UIA , which won the most seats in legislative elections in December He was relatively unknown before being nominated for the post of prime minister in Mr Maliki helped draft the country's new constitution and was a member of a committee, set up by the US, tasked with purging Iraq of its Baathist legacy.
The work of the committee attracted criticism for apparently extending its crackdown to officials that had been Baath Party members. In , Mr Maliki authorised a surge in US troop numbers that targeted al-Qaeda affiliated Sunni militants and led the campaign against Shia militias loyal to the radical cleric, Moqtada Sadr. Under fire from his Shia allies and under pressure to reconcile with Iraq's Sunni community, he split from the UIA in early and formed the broader-based State of Law coalition.
The alliance campaigned on a platform of a unified Iraq in the March elections, but lost by a mere two seats to the mostly Sunni-backed al-Iraqiyya alliance of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. In the months of deadlock that followed the poll, Mr Maliki was accused of turning to Tehran to help rebuild his power base and remain prime minister. The support of Moqtadr Sadr's bloc - reportedly the result of pressure from the Iranian government - was crucial.
After nine months of tortuous negotiations, Mr Maliki eventually formed a fragile government which included members of the al-Iraqiyya bloc. However, the government quickly unravelled when, after the withdrawal of US troops, arrest warrants were issued for a senior member of al-Iraqiyya, Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi. Mr Hashemi, Iraq's most senior Sunni Arab politician, was accused of funding attacks on government and security officials during Iraq's bloody insurgency.
He was sentenced to death in absentia in September but has since sought refuge in Turkey. Mr Maliki denied that the charges against Mr Hashemi were politically motivated. Since , Mr Maliki has faced both popular protests and an increasingly violent insurgency, led by groups fighting for an "Islamic state" in the region.
It stood in opposition to the Sunni-dominated Ba'ath regime, which dictator Saddam Hussein also later belonged to. Al-Maliki fled the country when Hussein came to power in and ruthlessly suppressed opposition parties. Al-Maliki was sentenced to death in exile by Iraqi authorities in He lived in exile for over 20 years, mostly in Syria and Iran. After Hussein's regime was brought down by US-led occupying forces in , al-Maliki returned to his homeland and became deputy head of the Supreme National Debaathification Commission, whose mission was to purge former Ba'ath Party officials from the military and government.
Following the first parliamentary elections in January he became head of the security and defense committee. A year later he became prime minister. When he took office, al-Maliki presented himself as an optimist. He and his ministers hoped "that this government can successfully lead Iraq out of its unusual and difficult situation. A point plan for national reconciliation and dialogue was drawn up to stabilize the country, integrate Sunnis and stop Shiite militias. At first the policy worked and violence in the country declined with the support of the US, but then it started rising again.
In the parliamentary elections, al-Maliki's State of Law Coalition lost by a few percentage points to the al-Iraqiya List, an alliance established by Ayad Allawi, interim prime minister from to But al-Maliki refused to surrender, and after a nine-month power vacuum managed to build a government that he was head of.
At the same time, al-Maliki increasingly resembled an autocrat. He filled key posts with fellow party members and took over several ministries himself. Officially the government was made up of Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, but Sunni representatives were gradually deprived of power. Following US withdrawal from Iraq in , al-Maliki used force against demonstrators who demanded reforms.
He described peaceful protesters as "enemies of freedom" and "terrorists. Tariq Aziz, former aide to Saddam Hussein, dies in Iraqi hospital. Published: 5 Jun Rick Perry deems Obama withdrawing troops from Iraq a 'national disgrace'.
Published: 4 Jun Professional pictures of the Quds commander are part of Iranian promotion of its support of Iraq forces against Isis. Published: 14 Oct Billions set aside for post-Saddam Iraq turned up in Lebanese bunker.
Stuart Bowen, who investigated corruption and waste in Iraq, says US and Iraqi governments ignored appeals to recover money. Published: 12 Oct Iraqi government names new cabinet as Islamic State advance.
The change is backed by the Arab League and is hoped to represent Sunnis more prominently. Published: 8 Sep UN to send investigators to Iraq over Islamic State 'atrocities'.
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