Iraqi parliament sets April 11 as session to elect president
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s parliament on Monday set April 11 as the date for a session to elect the country’s next president amid ongoing political deadlock.
“The parliament leadership decided to set Saturday, April 11, as the date for the session to elect the President of the Republic,” the parliament’s media office said in a statement.
The decision follows a meeting on Sunday between the parliament speakership and heads of parliamentary blocs, where they discussed the presidential election process and the need to end “the political deadlock in light of the security and economic conditions the country is facing,” according to the statement.
The parliament also urged political leaders to “assume their responsibilities in completing the constitutional requirements and forming a government.”
The move comes as Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework has called for accelerating the election process and urged political parties to resolve their differences.
However, President Masoud Barzani, who is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Saturday warned that rushing to elect a president could lead to “counterproductive” results and “deeper divisions,” stressing the need for further consultations and consideration of all 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,” Barzani said in a letter addressed to leaders of the Coordination Framework.
The presidency is widely expected to go to either the KDP, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), or a consensus candidate backed by both parties. Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the presidency has traditionally been held by a Kurd from the PUK.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein is the KDP’s candidate for the presidency, while the PUK has nominated former Iraqi Environment Minister Nizar Amedi.
According to Article 70 of the Iraqi constitution, parliament elects the president by a two-thirds majority. If no candidate secures that threshold in the first round, a runoff is held between the top two candidates, with the winner decided by a simple majority.
“The parliament leadership decided to set Saturday, April 11, as the date for the session to elect the President of the Republic,” the parliament’s media office said in a statement.
The decision follows a meeting on Sunday between the parliament speakership and heads of parliamentary blocs, where they discussed the presidential election process and the need to end “the political deadlock in light of the security and economic conditions the country is facing,” according to the statement.
The parliament also urged political leaders to “assume their responsibilities in completing the constitutional requirements and forming a government.”
The move comes as Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework has called for accelerating the election process and urged political parties to resolve their differences.
However, President Masoud Barzani, who is the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), on Saturday warned that rushing to elect a president could lead to “counterproductive” results and “deeper divisions,” stressing the need for further consultations and consideration of all 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,” Barzani said in a letter addressed to leaders of the Coordination Framework.
The presidency is widely expected to go to either the KDP, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), or a consensus candidate backed by both parties. Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the presidency has traditionally been held by a Kurd from the PUK.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein is the KDP’s candidate for the presidency, while the PUK has nominated former Iraqi Environment Minister Nizar Amedi.
According to Article 70 of the Iraqi constitution, parliament elects the president by a two-thirds majority. If no candidate secures that threshold in the first round, a runoff is held between the top two candidates, with the winner decided by a simple majority.