Shafaq News – Baghdad

The post of Iraq’s president is the entitlement of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) based on the parliamentary election results and should be held by a figure representing all the people of Kurdistan, a senior party official said on Wednesday.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s representative in Baghdad and a member of the KDP negotiating delegation, Faris Isa, told reporters that the party is engaging with political blocs in the capital to exchange views and push for consensus in line with constitutional timelines.

Issa noted that Sunni and Shiite political forces have expressed “positive views toward the Kurds and prefer unity within the Kurdish political component.”

Last week, KDP lawmaker Majid Shingali stated that the party has formed two separate delegations, one to negotiate federal government entitlements in Baghdad and another tasked with negotiations related to forming the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Earlier this month, the Federal Supreme Court ratified the final parliamentary election results, prompting President Abdul Latif Rashid to call on all political blocs to convene the first parliamentary session on December 29 in line with constitutional requirements.

Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the three top federal posts are traditionally divided among the country’s main political groups, with the prime minister chosen from Shia parties, the speaker of parliament from Sunni blocs, and the presidency held by a Kurdish nominee.

Read more: Iraq begins 90-day countdown to form government as political fault lines re-emerge