Iraq Presidential Vote Delayed Due to Disagreements Over Candidate

Iraqi Parliament Postpones Presidential Election Amid Kurdish Party Dispute

The Iraqi parliament has delayed its scheduled vote for the country’s next president to allow for further consultations between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The election, originally set for Tuesday, was postponed at the request of both parties.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the KDP has nominated Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein as its candidate. However, the PUK had previously agreed on a different candidate in an agreement with the KDP. The delay allows for more discussions between the two parties to reach a consensus on a joint candidate.

Iraq’s parliamentary system is based on sectarian quotas, which dictate that the post of prime minister goes to a Shia, the parliament’s speaker is a Sunni, and the presidency goes to a Kurd. In recent years, the largely ceremonial presidency has been held by a PUK member from the KDP.

The new president will have 15 days to appoint a prime minister, who is expected to be former leader Nouri al-Maliki. Al-Maliki, 75, previously served as Iraq’s prime minister for two terms from 2006 to 2014 before quitting under pressure from the United States. The Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shia parties with a parliamentary majority, has endorsed Maliki.

The US Secretary of State has warned against a pro-Iranian government in Iraq, citing concerns about former Prime Minister Maliki’s ties to Iran. Washington has conveyed its negative view of previous governments led by Maliki and stated that it will make its own sovereign decisions regarding the next government.

Source: Al Jazeera