Daijiworld Media Network - Bagdad
Bagdad, Feb 2: Iraq’s parliament has once more deferred a crucial session to elect the country’s next president, as divisions between the two leading Kurdish parties continue to stall the political process.
The session, scheduled for Sunday (local time), was adjourned after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) failed to reach agreement on a joint candidate for the presidency. The impasse, coupled with the absence of a parliamentary quorum, made it impossible to proceed, according to reports by Xinhua news agency.
In a statement, the parliament’s media office said the speaker convened a meeting with leaders of various parliamentary blocs to discuss fixing a new date for the presidential vote, underlining “the importance of adhering to the constitutional timelines.”
Parliamentary elections in Iraq were held in November last year. As per the constitution, lawmakers are required to elect a president within 30 days of the first parliamentary session, which took place on December 29, 2025. Once elected, the president has 15 days to nominate the candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc as prime minister. The proposed cabinet must then secure a confidence vote in parliament within 30 days.
Meanwhile, the Coordination Framework (CF)—an alliance of Shiite political groups and the largest bloc in parliament—reiterated its backing for former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as the next head of government. The bloc has also rejected what it described as foreign interference in Iraq’s government formation process. The CF formally nominated al-Maliki for the premiership on January 24.
Tensions escalated after US President Donald Trump warned earlier this week that Washington would “no longer help Iraq” if al-Maliki returned to office. Al-Maliki responded by calling the remarks “blatant US interference” and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
Under Iraq’s post-2003 ethno-sectarian power-sharing arrangement, the presidency is reserved for a Kurd, the speaker of parliament for a Sunni Muslim, and the prime minister’s post for a Shiite Muslim.