The decision came after a meeting between Maliki and Abadi under the mediation by Iraqi Vice President Khudhair al-Khuzaie and the former Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who is also a leading figure in the powerful Iraqi National Alliance, a major Shiite bloc, the reports said.
Maliki has been under growing pressure to give up his effort to get a third term as head of the government as the political blocs prefer a new prime minister that is acceptable to the Kurds and Sunnis.