Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) on Wednesday said its lawmakers would be “free” to choose in a presidential vote if Kurdish parties fail to agree on a single candidate, amid a prolonged political deadlock.
In a statement, the Framework, parliament’s largest bloc, called for a swift resolution of the presidency, warning that continued paralysis of state institutions is “not in line” with the political, economic, and security challenges facing the country.
The bloc also urged parties in the Kurdistan Region to seriously engage with proposals presented by a CF delegation during a recent visit, as efforts continue to secure Kurdish consensus on a nominee. The delegation, led by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, visited Erbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah on February 2, holding talks with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on the stalled presidential election and steps toward forming the next federal government.
Iraq’s parliament has repeatedly failed to convene a session to elect a president because Kurdish blocs have not agreed on a single candidate, preventing the chamber from reaching the quorum required for a vote. Under Iraq’s informal power-sharing arrangement, the presidency is traditionally allocated to a Kurdish politician, while the premiership goes to a Shiite, making Kurdish agreement essential to advancing the government formation process.
The failure to elect a president has delayed the naming of a prime minister-designate and the formation of a new cabinet, pushing the CF to give the two largest Iraqi Kurdistan parties 48 hours to agree on a presidential candidate.
Former prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki remains the CF’s candidate for the premiership, despite US President Donald Trump rejecting his return. However, Al-Maliki has shown readiness to relinquish his candidacy should the majority within the CF request it.
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