Iraq’s two main Kurdish parties have reached an agreement to resolve the crisis over nominating a new president, with an official announcement expected early next week, according to Kurdish political sources who spoke to Alhurra.
If finalized, the move could help resolve Iraq’s stalled selection of a new prime minister, a process that became more complicated after U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed the Coordination Framework’s nominee for the post, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Kurdish sources said a meeting held Wednesday between leaders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan was “very positive” and produced agreements on issues related to the presidential nomination and the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
“The agreement stipulates that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s nominee for the presidency, Nizar Omidi, will be the sole official Kurdish candidate in the Council of Representatives,” the sources said.
The deal also includes, according to the sources, granting the sovereign ministry allocated to the Kurds in the federal government to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, as well as giving the party between seven and nine ministries in the regional government, on the condition that none be security ministries.
“Among the positions to be granted to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan are speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament, deputy president of the region and deputy prime minister of the regional government.”
This means the posts of prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and president of the region will go to the Kurdistan Democratic Party, along with more than 11 ministries in the regional cabinet, the sources said.
Historically, Kurdish politics has been shaped by rivalry between the Kurdistan Democratic Party, whose center of gravity is Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan Region, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which is concentrated in Sulaymaniyah.
Under an undeclared understanding between the two sides, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan typically holds the presidency of Iraq, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party controls the regional presidency and government.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein is the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s sole candidate, while former Environment Minister Nizar Amidi is the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s nominee.
Speaking to Alhurra, Kurdistan Democratic Party member Mahma Khalil declined to describe the outcome as a final agreement, saying only that the two sides had reached important understandings to be announced early next week.
Khalil added that the Kurdish parties would enter the parliamentary session designated to elect a new president with “a single consensus candidate.”
He did not specify whether Fuad Hussein or Nizar Omidi was more likely to assume the presidency, but stressed that the Kurds would present a unified position in parliament.
Some sources say the session to elect a new president could be held next Sunday, which would bring the issue of al-Maliki’s nomination for prime minister back to the forefront.
What does this mean for al-Maliki?
Under Iraq’s constitution, the newly elected president must task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government within a maximum of 15 days.
Earlier this month, Iraq’s parliament twice failed to convene a session to elect a new president and designate a new prime minister, amid ongoing disputes over al-Maliki’s nomination.
In Iraq, it has become customary to elect the president and nominate a new prime minister in the same session.
Al-Maliki is currently the Coordination Framework’s candidate. The framework is an alliance of Iraqi Shiite political forces that won a majority in last November’s elections and is constitutionally entitled to nominate a prime minister.
Coordination Framework forces are still searching for an “acceptable” way out of the al-Maliki nomination crisis, given Trump’s opposition to his return to power.
Nearly two weeks after President Trump threatened to end cooperation with Iraq should al-Maliki be chosen, discussions among Shiite factions in the Coordination Framework remain inconclusive.
The State of Law coalition, led by al-Maliki, said Saturday that he “does not intend to withdraw” and that “the Coordination Framework remains committed to its candidate, and all rumors are unfounded and far from reality.”
Kurdish political sources said one reason for delaying the announcement of the presidential agreement was to allow sufficient time for the Coordination Framework to decide whether to proceed with al-Maliki’s nomination.
A Kurdish lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that the election of a new president and the designation of a new prime minister could be delayed until after Eid al-Fitr in March if disputes over al-Maliki persist, whether domestically or due to U.S. opposition.
Several Sunni forces, including the Taqaddum party led by Mohammed al-Halbousi, as well as Shiite groups such as the Hikma movement led by Ammar al-Hakim, have announced their rejection of al-Maliki’s nomination, reducing his chances of securing the votes needed in parliament.
The election of the president is considered the most difficult stage in forming Iraq’s new government because it requires the attendance of two-thirds of the 329-member Council of Representatives—meaning 109 lawmakers can block the process if they unite to form what is known as a “blocking third.”
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
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.
