KDP candidate quits Iraq presidency race, backs FM

Shafaq News– Erbil

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) candidate, Nozad Hadi, withdrew from Iraq’s presidential race on Saturday, consolidating the party’s position as parliament edges closer to a decisive vote to elect a new head of state.

Hadi said in a statement that his withdrawal followed guidance from KDP Leader Masoud Barzani, adding that the move was intended to unify the party behind a single nominee.

The KDP is now backing Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein as its sole candidate, narrowing the Kurdish contest as rival party Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) fields Nizar Amedi for the post.

The split between the two main Kurdish parties has placed the Shiite Coordination Framework, parliament’s largest bloc, in a pivotal position to determine the outcome. The alliance has yet to declare support for any Kurdish nominee and has not finalized its own choice for prime minister.

The developments come as Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court confirmed a final list of 19 eligible presidential candidates, clearing the way for a parliamentary vote that must take place before the constitutional deadline later this month.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the presidency is reserved for a Kurd, the premiership for a Shiite Arab, and the parliamentary speakership for a Sunni Arab.

The presidency has historically been difficult to fill, largely due to rivalry between the KDP and PUK, which has repeatedly delayed voting sessions by preventing the two-thirds quorum required for a vote.

Following the October 2021 elections, parliament failed for months to elect a president amid Kurdish divisions and broader Shiite political deadlock. The impasse ended in October 2022 with the election of Abdul Latif Rashid, paving the way for the formation of a government led by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani after nearly a year of negotiations.

Since 2005, Iraq’s presidency has been held by the PUK, beginning with Jalal Talabani, followed by Fouad Masum, Barham Salih, and the current president, Abdul Latif Rashid.

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