"The Iraqi security forces should refrain from actions that may be seen as interference in matters related to the democratic transfer of political authority," top UN envoy in Iraq Nickolay Mladenov said.
Special forces, police and army had deployed around strategic locations in Baghdad yesterday before Maliki made a desperate last stand on state television, vowing to sue the president for failing to name him as prime minister.
When President Fuad Masum accepted the National Alliance Shiite bloc's nomination of Haidar al-Abadi later today, Maliki supporters had gathered on a central square in Baghdad to protest.