Iraq's parliament is scheduled to convene on Saturday for a third attempt to elect a president from candidates nominated by the country's two main Kurdish parties.
Under a power-sharing system established in 2003 to avoid sectarian violence, Iraq’s prime minister must be a Shiite, the parliamentary speaker a Sunni, and the president, a largely ceremonial role, a Kurd. A separate agreement between the two largest Kurdish parties allows the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to nominate the president, while the presidency of the Kurdish region is held by a nominee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
However, the KDP has nominated Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein for the presidency, challenging the PUK candidate Nizar Amedi, a former environment minister and the head of the party’s Baghdad office, for the post. The parliament abandoned two previous attempts to elect the president after the KDP and PUK failed to reach an agreement on the post.
A member of parliament in Baghdad said he would attend Saturday’s session but questioned whether there would be a quorum to hold the vote. A two-thirds majority is needed to elect the president. “It is unclear if the session will actually take place, given there is still no consensus among Kurds, Shia, or even Sunnis,” said the MP, who asked not to be named.
The politician urged parties to break the deadlock and move forward, at a time when Iraq is caught in the crossfire between the US and Iran after a month of war.
“Iraq is facing serious political, security, and economic risks, especially with the current war and its consequences on the region,” he said. “We urgently need a strong government to address these challenges and stabilise the country.”
The failure to elect a president has delayed the formation of a new government after November's general election. Under the constitution, the president must formally assign the prime ministerial candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc to form a cabinet.
The constitutional deadline to elect a president is within 30 days of the first session of the new parliamentary term, which began on December 29.
