ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) politburo met on Sunday to choose its candidate for the Iraqi presidency – a post consistently held by the PUK since 2005. However, as the larger party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) says it is entitled to take the job.
“The presidency of Iraq is the PUK’s share, and the PUK will have a candidate for that position,” politburo official Hakim Qadir Hamajan told PUK Media.
Three PUK candidates have put their names forward. According to Rudaw sources, the politburo has shortlisted two of them: Mala Bakhtiyar and Lateef Rashid.
The leadership council will soon meet to officially select their candidate.
Dr. Mohammed Sabir, a third possible candidate, however, denies he has withdrawn from the race.
“I have more than enough qualifications and criteria for nominating myself. I find myself worthy of the position, and I will, as always, continue serving. Withdrawal is not in my plans,” Sabir told Rudaw.
All three candidates are family members by marriage of the powerful Talabani family. Mala Bakhtiyar is the father-in-law of Bafel Talabani, son of the party’s late founder and former Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, while the other two are brothers-in-law of Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, Jalal Talabani’s widow.
A strategic agreement between the PUK and the KDP following the fall of Saddam Hussein and founding of the new Iraq stipulated that the KDP would hold the Kurdistan Region’s presidency while the PUK would take the largely ceremonial Iraqi presidency.
The PUK insists that just because Kurdistan Region’s presidency is currently suspended, it does not nullify the previous agreement.
The KDP, the largest Kurdish party in Iraqi parliament with 25 seats, however, says that it is entitled to the position due to electoral gains.
“I am of the understanding that so far the position of presidency is for the KDP,” Bashar Kiki, KDP MP in Iraqi parliament and ex-head of Nineveh provincial council, told Rudaw.
“There are many candidates, but there are three prominent figures. Dr Rozh [Nouri Shaways], Fadhil Mirani, Hoshyar Zebari. These are all able to be the president of Iraq,” added Kiki.
He said the topic has been “concluded”.
The KDP would “strengthen Kurdistan’s position in Baghdad” if given the post, outperforming the record of incumbent president Fuad Masum.
The constitutional timeline dictates that Iraq must elect a new president 15 days after the Speaker has been installed.
The clock is ticking on a KDP-PUK agreement.
Komal, a Kurdish party with 2 seats in the Iraqi parliament, says it may also field a candidate to break the duopoly, prompting further speculation that the selection of the candidate might take longer.
Barham Salih, the former PUK prime minister of the Kurdistan Region who recently broke away to found the Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), recently held talks with PUK officials. He is rumoured to be considering an offer to return to the party's ranks in exchange for nomination for the Iraqi presidency.
Rudaw understands such a deal would require Salih to publicly announcing his return to PUK as a condition for shortlisting him.
No agreement has been announced.
“The presidency of Iraq is the PUK’s share, and the PUK will have a candidate for that position,” politburo official Hakim Qadir Hamajan told PUK Media.
Three PUK candidates have put their names forward. According to Rudaw sources, the politburo has shortlisted two of them: Mala Bakhtiyar and Lateef Rashid.
The leadership council will soon meet to officially select their candidate.
Dr. Mohammed Sabir, a third possible candidate, however, denies he has withdrawn from the race.
“I have more than enough qualifications and criteria for nominating myself. I find myself worthy of the position, and I will, as always, continue serving. Withdrawal is not in my plans,” Sabir told Rudaw.
All three candidates are family members by marriage of the powerful Talabani family. Mala Bakhtiyar is the father-in-law of Bafel Talabani, son of the party’s late founder and former Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, while the other two are brothers-in-law of Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, Jalal Talabani’s widow.
A strategic agreement between the PUK and the KDP following the fall of Saddam Hussein and founding of the new Iraq stipulated that the KDP would hold the Kurdistan Region’s presidency while the PUK would take the largely ceremonial Iraqi presidency.
The PUK insists that just because Kurdistan Region’s presidency is currently suspended, it does not nullify the previous agreement.
The KDP, the largest Kurdish party in Iraqi parliament with 25 seats, however, says that it is entitled to the position due to electoral gains.
“I am of the understanding that so far the position of presidency is for the KDP,” Bashar Kiki, KDP MP in Iraqi parliament and ex-head of Nineveh provincial council, told Rudaw.
“There are many candidates, but there are three prominent figures. Dr Rozh [Nouri Shaways], Fadhil Mirani, Hoshyar Zebari. These are all able to be the president of Iraq,” added Kiki.
He said the topic has been “concluded”.
The KDP would “strengthen Kurdistan’s position in Baghdad” if given the post, outperforming the record of incumbent president Fuad Masum.
The constitutional timeline dictates that Iraq must elect a new president 15 days after the Speaker has been installed.
The clock is ticking on a KDP-PUK agreement.
Komal, a Kurdish party with 2 seats in the Iraqi parliament, says it may also field a candidate to break the duopoly, prompting further speculation that the selection of the candidate might take longer.
Rudaw understands such a deal would require Salih to publicly announcing his return to PUK as a condition for shortlisting him.
No agreement has been announced.
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