Kurdish politician Nizar Amedi elected as Iraqs new president

Iraq’s Parliament Elects New President in Second Round Voting

Nizar Amedi, nominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was elected as Iraq’s new president on Saturday with 227 votes, ending a five-month political deadlock. The election marks the sixth presidency since the removal of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Amedi, 58, is a career public servant who has spent decades in Iraqi politics. He previously served as a senior aide to two former presidents and as environment minister from 2022 to 2024. In his speech to parliament after the vote, Amedi acknowledged the challenges facing the country and pledged to work with all branches of government.

The election comes amid ongoing tensions following the US-Israel war on Iran, which was halted by a ceasefire announced earlier this week. Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq launched attacks on US and Israeli targets, while US and Israeli strikes targeted Iraqi military members.

Under Iraq’s sectarian power-sharing system, the prime minister must be a Shia Muslim, the parliamentary speaker a Sunni, and the president a Kurd. The Coordination Framework, an Iran-aligned Shia party group, announced its nominee for prime minister in January: former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. However, US President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw US support if al-Maliki was designated.

Amedi now has 15 days to task the largest parliamentary bloc’s nominee with forming a cabinet, which must be assembled within 30 days under the constitution.

Source: Al Jazeera