Coordination Framework delegation arrives in Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A delegation from Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework, led by outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, arrived in Erbil on Monday. 

The high-profile delegation was received by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani at Erbil International Airport and is expected to meet with leaders from the Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). 

The visit comes as politicking intensifies to elect Iraq’s next president, amid Kurdish parties’ failure to agree on a unified candidate, and to name the country’s next prime minister, following what appears to be a US veto of Nouri al-Maliki, the Coordination Framework’s nominee for the post.

Iraq held legislative elections on November 11. The parliament convened on December 29 to elect its speaker and two deputies. Under the constitution, the president must be elected within 30 days of the first parliamentary session. Once sworn in, the president has up to 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government.

Since 2003, an informal power-sharing system has allocated the parliament’s speakership to Sunni Arabs, the premiership to Shiite Arabs, and the presidency to the Kurds.

The KDP and the PUK have both nominated candidates for the Iraqi presidency, and their failure to agree on a single joint nominee has reportedly resulted in a political deadlock. The PUK, which has largely held the mostly ceremonial post since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, argues that the presidency is its entitlement. The KDP has rejected this claim, offering the PUK all other federal positions in exchange for the presidency.