Baghdad, Iraq – In a crucial parliamentary session aimed at ending the political deadlock, the Iraqi Council of Representatives failed to elect a president in the first round of voting on Saturday, April 11, 2026. This was due to none of the candidates securing the required two-thirds majority (220 votes).
However, the results showed a significant lead for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) candidate, Nizar Amidi. Amidi is now on the verge of assuming the presidency after receiving a comfortable majority of parliamentary votes.
Voting details and elimination of competitors
The session, chaired by Speaker al-Halbousi, was attended by 252 members of parliament and featured four candidates.
The vote count showed a significant lead for Amidi, who garnered 208 votes. His independent rival, Muthanna Amin, received 17 votes.
Conversely, the session witnessed a major upset with the elimination of the Kurdistan Democratic Party candidate, Fuad Hussein, who received only 16 votes. Independent candidate Abdullah al-Ulayawi followed with two votes. Based on these results, the Speaker announced a second round of voting to determine the winner between the two candidates with the highest number of votes (Amidi and Amin). Fuad Hussein and al-Ulayawi were legally disqualified from the race.
Amidi… a consensus candidate with experience
Nizar Amidi is a consensus candidate who has garnered the support of the “Coordination Framework” and influential political forces. His candidacy is based on his professional history as an advisor to three former presidents and as Minister of the Environment. His strong showing in the first round is seen as a clear indication of the political blocs’ desire to resolve the issue of the prime ministership. It also reflects a desire to move forward with the formation of the new government.
What comes after the first round?
All eyes are now on the second round of voting, which, according to the Iraqi constitution, requires a simple majority (half plus one) of the votes cast. Current readings indicate that Amidi is the frontrunner to officially assume the presidency. He only needs to maintain his current voting bloc to be declared president.
This step is expected to pave the way for the candidate of the largest bloc to be tasked with forming the government. It will also end the 148-day political deadlock that has gripped Iraq since the October 2015 elections.
