Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Iraq’s parliament has postponed a session to elect the country’s next President following a similar decision last week, due to a persistent deadlock between the two main Kurdish parties. The session was adjourned on February 2 after the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan failed to agree on a consensus candidate for the presidential post, as well as the lack of a quorum, reports Xinhua news agency.
A statement by the parliament’s media office said that the speaker held a meeting with the heads of the parliamentary blocs to discuss setting a date for the presidential election, stressing “the importance of adhering to the constitutional timelines.” Iraq held parliamentary elections in November last year. Under the constitution, the parliament must elect a president within 30 days of its first session, which was held on December 29, 2025.
The President then has 15 days to nominate the leader of the largest parliamentary bloc as the prime minister to form a new cabinet, which must win a confidence vote within 30 days. Iraq’s Coordination Framework (CF), an umbrella alliance of Shiite parties and the largest parliamentary bloc, reaffirmed its support for the nomination of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership, rejecting foreign interference in the government formation process.
On January 24, the CF nominated al-Maliki to head the next government.
US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would no longer help Iraq if al-Maliki returned to power. Al-Maliki dismissed the comments as “blatant US interference” and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
