KDP signals it may skip Saturday vote on Iraq’s president

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Farhad Atroushi, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)-affiliated deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, on Friday expressed his “disapproval” of the agenda for the legislature’s upcoming session scheduled for Saturday to elect Iraq’s next president, citing the lack of “national consensus on a candidate” for the post traditionally held by the Kurds.

In a statement, Atroushi said, “Starting from our national responsibility and our keenness to ensure the stability of the political process and the democratic path in the country, we announce our disapproval of the agenda for the session on Saturday, April 11, dedicated to electing the President of the Republic of Iraq.”

He attributed the move to “the absence of national and political consensus regarding electoral entitlements,” urging “our partners among the political leaders to allow for further understanding and serious dialogue” to “transcend differences and reach a national consensus on a presidential candidate who enjoys broad national acceptance, far from the policy of imposing a fait accompli.”

Atroushi’s remarks come after President Masoud Barzani, leader of the KDP, warned on Saturday that rushing to elect a president could lead to “counterproductive” results and “deeper divisions,” stressing the need for further consultations among political components.

“We believe that the current call for a parliamentary session to elect the President of the Republic, and subsequently appoint the prime minister, requires further consultation,” the preeminent Kurdish leader said.

Kurdish dynamics

Iraq held its legislative elections in early November. Since 2003, an informal power-sharing system has allocated the parliament’s speakership to Sunni Arabs, the premiership to Shiite parties, and the presidency to the Kurds.

In late December, parliament elected its speaker and two deputies, including Atroushi. Under Iraq’s constitution, once the parliamentary leadership is formed, lawmakers have 30 days to elect a president in a session requiring a two-thirds quorum - 220 out of 329 members - to convene.

After a president is elected - either by a two-thirds majority in the first round or a simple majority in a runoff - the president must, within 15 days of being sworn in, task the prime minister candidate nominated by the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government.

However, the constitutional deadline to elect a president has already been breached, as the two main Kurdish parties - the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) - have yet to agree on a joint candidate. While the PUK has nominated Nizar Amedi, the KDP has put forward Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

A senior KDP official told Rudaw in February that “the candidacy should not be selected by one party alone,” arguing that the post should be revitalized to address constitutional challenges rather than treated as a “political entitlement” of the PUK.

The PUK, for its part, has sought to ease pressure by forming a partnership with the Shaswar Abdulwahid-led New Generation Movement (NGM), a Kurdish opposition party, in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Shiite dynamics

Beyond Kurdish disagreements, divisions also persist within the Shiite political bloc.

The ruling Shiite Coordination Framework announced in January that it had formed the largest parliamentary bloc and nominated former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki for a third term. The move, however, triggered immediate internal and external pushback, with Washington in early February effectively vetoing his candidacy, citing his close ties to Iran.

However, the decision to hold Saturday’s parliamentary session followed a meeting last Sunday between the parliament’s leadership and heads of political blocs, where they stressed the need to end the “political deadlock” amid ongoing security and economic challenges, according to a statement from the legislature.

The Coordination Framework also called for accelerating the election process and urged political parties to resolve their differences.

However, Atroushi on Friday pointed to a “lack of agreement” on a prime ministerial candidate as well, adding that “it is our right to be informed of the nominated personality and to have a say in this nomination.”