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Iraq
A few Iraqi lawmakers attend a scheduled parliament meeting in Baghdad to choose a new president for Iraq, on February 7, 2022, as most major political blocs boycotted the session. Photo: Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi parliament on Tuesday announced the reopening of registration for presidential candidates, a day after the legislature failed to elect a new president as prominent parties boycotted the session amid ongoing political infighting.
Political blocs can nominate new candidates to run for the presidency starting from Wednesday, the parliament said as reported by state media.
The period for putting forth presidential nominees will last for three days.
The announcement comes as the parliament failed to vote in a new president in its Monday session. With only 58 MPs present in the hall, as the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the Sadrists and the Sunnis boycotted the session, the necessary quorum of a two thirds attendance of the 329 members of the legislature was not met.
The date for the next session has not been announced yet.
The process for electing a new president was thrown into a disarray after Iraq’s top court temporarily suspended the nomination of KDP’s candidate, Hoshyar Zebari, for the presidency race, citing years-old corruption accusations.
The KDP, however, announced that it is sticking to Zebari’s candidacy. His case is expected to be resolved in the next few days.
Zebari is one of the two frontrunners for the presidential race, as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has nominated the incumbent Iraqi President Barham Salih for the position.
The KDP was expected to hold an advantage over the PUK for the presidency race given their alliance with the Sadrist Movement, the largest parliamentary bloc, led by Muqtada al-Sadr. But, in a turn of events on Friday, Sadr called against voting for Zebari if he does not meet the necessary requirements to fulfil the position.
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 PUK since 2005.
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