Baghdad: Today's Tuesday newspapers focused on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's statements regarding plans to elevate Iraq's human development ranking, alongside political activity following the elections and government follow-up on the Development Road project. According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Zawraa newspaper reported Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's affirmation that the government is moving forward with a comprehensive plan to place Iraq among countries with a 'very high' human development index by 2035. This announcement came during his participation in the launch ceremony of the Iraq Human Development Report 2025, where he highlighted that Iraq has, for the first time, surpassed the threshold of medium human development and entered the category of high human development countries. Al-Sudani described this achievement as a motivation for further progress, praising the efforts of the Ministry of Planning and national and international experts who contributed to the report. He e mphasized that the report was characterized by boldness, realism, neutrality, and objectivity, noting that the government has provided updated and reliable indicators for development levels across the provinces. Al-Sudani added that Iraq, following its victory over terrorism, has regained the capacity to implement solid development plans, stressing the importance of accepting objective criticism and addressing developmental shortcomings. He also pointed to the clear security and political stability in the country, ongoing efforts to diversify the economy, and the promise of Iraq's human capital. He highlighted the current economic growth and the new employment opportunities emerging from digital transformation. In a separate context, Al-Sudani chaired a meeting of the Higher Committee for the Development Road Project, attended by the ministers of transport and industry, senior government officials, and representatives from the consulting firms KBR and Oliver Wyman. The meeting discussed the work of the audit ing company, timelines for completing the review of railway and highway designs, the cost of these designs, and the operational plans submitted by the consulting companies. Al-Sudani instructed that the best proposal be selected and a comprehensive summary presented at the next meeting, stressing the importance of accelerating work on this strategic project due to its significance for Iraq's future. The meeting also included a review of progress rates for all components of the Development Road project, legal mechanisms related to the contract to operate the Grand Faw Port through a joint management system with Abu Dhabi Ports, and a detailed presentation by Oliver Wyman on launching the third phase of the project after completing the first two phases. Al-Sabah newspaper highlighted the ongoing political movement to form the next government, noting that the political landscape is experiencing a delicate and sensitive phase marked by accelerated dialogue among various forces seeking to ensure state stability amid intertwined domestic and regional challenges. In this context, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani received on Monday the Kurdistan Region's Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, for discussions on the general situation in the country. The meeting covered political, economic, and developmental issues, along with efforts to strengthen stability and enable the upcoming government to continue ongoing projects and deliver services to citizens. A statement from the Prime Minister's media office said both sides emphasized the need to swiftly complete the requirements for forming the new government, while adhering to the constitution and legal frameworks governing national issues to prevent any disruption to the political process or a potential constitutional vacuum. Meanwhile, State of Law Coalition leader Nouri Al-Maliki received a delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), headed by Qubad Talabani, who offered congratulations on the successful parliamentary elections. The two sides discusse d the latest political developments and ongoing negotiations among political forces to form the government, with particular focus on the three top state positions and ways to reach agreements that ensure stability and fair representation for all components. Regarding the presidency, both parties stressed the importance of achieving consensus among Kurdish forces on selecting a suitable candidate who enjoys broad national acceptance, supports joint political work, and aligns with the aspirations of the Iraqi people-thereby enhancing cooperation among all actors and strengthening the new government's ability to manage national affairs effectively. This comes as the Azm Alliance reiterated that the formation of state authorities must be based on a clear national vision that guarantees the representation of all components without exception. The alliance stressed adherence to constitutional and legal procedures in selecting the prime minister, speaker of parliament, and cabinet ministers, with consideration for c ompetence, experience, and integrity. Alliance member Muhannad Mahmoud Dhaidan stated that Azm is closely monitoring the ongoing political negotiations, emphasizing that choosing the prime minister is the constitutional entitlement of the largest bloc, represented by the Coordination Framework, as part of maintaining the legal path for forming the government. Mohannad Mahmoud Dhaidan, a member of the Azm Alliance, stated that the alliance is closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations among political forces, emphasizing that selecting the prime minister is a constitutional entitlement of the largest bloc-the Coordination Framework-which ensures that the government formation process remains within legal boundaries. Dhaidan added that the alliance is holding a series of internal meetings as well as discussions with partner forces within the National Political Council, aiming to nominate a candidate for Speaker of Parliament who enjoys both political and public acceptance, possesses the capability to manage th e legislature effectively, and meets the criteria of national balance while safeguarding the rights of all components. Meanwhile, political analyst and State of Law Coalition member Abbas Al-Moussawi explained that the current phase is still focused on restructuring alliances, noting that time will be a decisive factor as the final ratification of election results approaches. He pointed out that the Independent High Electoral Commission has submitted the preliminarily ratified names to the Federal Supreme Court, after which the constitutional deadlines for forming the authorities will begin-placing political blocs before obligations that require accelerating the nomination of candidates for senior state positions. Al-Moussawi added that meetings within the Coordination Framework are ongoing-both formal and informal-with near-daily discussions among its leaders aimed at shaping preliminary understandings regarding the mechanism for selecting the next prime minister. He noted that political positions within th e framework are becoming clearer, paving the way for a final agreement on its nominee for the premiership. He also highlighted concurrent Kurdish and Sunni political activity aimed at reaching a final formula for upcoming alliances, expecting that the actual formation of these alliances will crystallize after the official announcement and ratification of the election results, which will trigger clear constitutional obligations. Similarly, political analyst Jasem Al-Moussawi stated that despite securing the highest number of seats, the Coordination Framework still faces challenges in finalizing its nominee for the premiership. He explained that resolving this issue depends on the positions of Sunni and Kurdish partners, noting that ongoing disagreements within Kurdish parties regarding the political convention for selecting the President of the Republic could delay a final agreement-requiring more time and careful negotiation. Al-Zaman newspaper reported that a delegation from the Patriotic Union of Kurdista n (PUK), headed by Qubad Talabani, met with the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaydan, to discuss upcoming constitutional obligations. Talabani praised the judiciary's role in ensuring the success of the parliamentary elections and securing the completion of constitutional requirements in the next phase. Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani received Talabani for discussions on political, economic, and developmental matters, as well as mechanisms to reinforce stability and continue ongoing projects. The meeting emphasized the urgency of completing the formation of the next government and adhering to constitutional principles in addressing national issues. Talabani also met with State of Law Coalition leader Nouri Al-Maliki to discuss the three top state positions. The PUK delegation congratulated Al-Maliki on his coalition's strong electoral performance. Both sides reviewed the latest political developments and exchanged views on managing the presidency, speakership, a nd premiership files within constitutional frameworks that support stability. The discussions included ways to reach Kurdish consensus on a candidate for the presidency who enjoys broad national approval. At the same time, Asaib Ahl al-Haq Secretary-General Qais Al-Khazali, during his meeting with the PUK delegation, stressed the importance of maintaining unified national positions that safeguard Iraq's higher interests. He affirmed that the current stage requires genuine cooperation among political forces and swift progress toward forming the new government. Separately, the Independent High Electoral Commission announced the disqualification of six candidates since the end of the election process, confirming real changes to results and seat allocation. Legal adviser Hassan Salman stated that the latest disqualification followed an accepted appeal regarding a candidate's eligibility. He revealed that the women's quota seat in Nineveh had shifted from one list to another, replaced by a male candidate. Salman emphasized that eligibility-based disqualification decisions do not require manual recounts and that all appeals will be reviewed before the Federal Supreme Court grants final approval. The court has already received the final election results from the commission.