Iraq is scheduled to form a new government with the election of a new president in a parliamentary session set for Tuesday. The session is also expected to include the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form the next government. However, developments on the ground suggest complications ahead.
According to an Iraqi parliamentary source, the session may be postponed—at the latest until next Sunday—pending an agreement between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) over the presidency.
The source, who requested anonymity, said the two main Kurdish parties are locked in a dispute over control of the post, with each insisting on pushing through its own candidate.
“The issue is extremely complicated, given that each of the two parties has separate alliances with the Shiite forces that won the elections,” the source said. “Those forces, in turn, need Kurdish votes to pass Maliki’s nomination, but they also do not want to lose their alliances with the Kurds.”
On Sunday, the Iraqi parliament announced that its session scheduled for Tuesday would elect a new president, who would then task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming the government and assuming the post of prime minister.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party has nominated current Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein for the presidency, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has put forward Nizar Amedi.
On Saturday, the Coordination Framework—a broad umbrella grouping most of the Shiite factions that won seats in the elections, including political wings that command armed militias loyal to Tehran—announced its nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. If elected, this would be his third term as Prime Minister.
In Iraq, it has traditionally been the case that the president is elected, and a new prime minister is nominated in the same parliamentary session.
In a statement issued Monday evening, the Coordination Framework called on the two Kurdish parties to reach an agreement that would facilitate the election of the president within the constitutionally mandated timeframe.
The statement added that the framework had hosted delegations from both the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan separately to follow up on constitutional requirements and the election of the president.
The parliamentary source told Alhurra that there are concerns among political forces that postponing the parliamentary session until Sunday may be unconstitutional. “As a result, the Federal Supreme Court may be approached to rule on the matter,” the source said.
Under the Iraqi constitution, the deadline for electing a new president must not exceed 30 days from the date of the first session of the new parliament. The Iraqi parliament held its inaugural session on December 29.
Since 2005—when Iraq formed its first elected government following the fall of former President Saddam Hussein—the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has held the presidency, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party has contented itself with securing key ministerial portfolios in the Iraqi government.
Political offices in Iraq are allocated according to a power-sharing system among the country’s main components—Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds—based on the number of seats each secures in parliamentary elections.
Under this arrangement, the prime minister is typically a Shiite component, the president a Kurd, and the speaker of parliament from the Sunni component.
Maliki’s Return
The Shiite forces that won the elections have succeeded in overcoming their internal differences and agreed to nominate Maliki for the post of prime minister, following the withdrawal of his most prominent rival, current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Both major Kurdish parties welcomed Maliki’s nomination, while the Sunni political scene split over the move. The Taqaddum Alliance, led by Mohammed al-Halbousi—the largest Sunni bloc in parliament with 29 seats—opposed Maliki’s nomination, while the Azm and National Resolve alliances announced their support.
The election of the president is considered the most difficult stage in the process of forming a new Iraqi government, as it requires a quorum of two-thirds of the 329-member Council of Representatives. This means that 109 lawmakers can derail the process if they align and form what is known as the “blocking third.”
Ghassan Taqi
A journalist specializing in Iraqi affairs, he has worked with the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) since 2015. He previously spent several years with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as well as various Iraqi and Arab media outlets.
