ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi parliament voted on Saturday to reopen registration for presidential candidates days after the country’s federal court called off a similar decision by the legislature. Iraq held parliamentary elections on October 10 but the political parties failed to elect a president for the country on time due to strong rivalry between Kurdistan Region’s ruling parties over the position. After the Federal Supreme Court removed the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) candidate Hoshyar Zebari last month over corruption allegations, the parliament presidency reopened doors for candidates. This time, the KDP fielded the Region’s interior minister Reber Ahmed but the same court ruled on Tuesday the reopening of registration “unconstitutional” on the grounds that the decision was not made by majority of MPs but by the parliamentary speaker. The parliament convened on Saturday. The session was attended by 265 MPs, according to a statement by the legislature which added that 203 MPs voted in favour of the reopening of registration for presidential candidates. The registration begins on Sunday, lasting for three day, the parliament said later. The KDP, which has struck a deal with the main Shiite and Sunni winners of the elections, is expected to field Ahmed for the position for the second time. The tripartite alliance was expected to hold a meeting in Erbil late last month but it did not take place. According to a long-standing customary agreement, the three main leadership positions in the Iraqi government are divided among Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis. The presidency lies with the Kurds and the position has been held by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) since 2005.
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