Baghdad, Iraq – The Iraqi parliament failed once again on Sunday to convene a session to elect a president, due to the ongoing dispute between the two main Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), over the nomination of a candidate for the position. A brief statement issued by the parliament’s media office indicated that the session was postponed until further notice due to a lack of quorum, with fewer than 120 members present.
Competition and division
This comes amid competition and division among Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni blocs over the two Kurdish parties’ candidates: Fuad Hussein of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Nizar Amidi of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region and Second Deputy Leader of the KDP, confirmed that the two parties have not yet reached an agreement on the presidential post and that the process of nominating their candidates will continue in parliament until an understanding is reached.
Iraq… and allowing time for understanding
Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi had also decided last Tuesday to postpone the session after only 85 members of parliament attended, citing the lack of a quorum and requests from the two Kurdish parties to postpone the session to allow more time for them to reach an agreement. The Iraqi constitution stipulates that the president must be elected within 30 days of the first session of parliament, which increases the pressure for a swift agreement among the political blocs.
