Shafaq News/ Rebar Ahmed, the candidate of the "Saving the Nation" Alliance for the Iraqi Presidency, said that Iraq has resources and diversity as much as it has challenges

In an article published by the London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper today, Thursday, Ahmed said, "Since the President of the Republic is the protector of the constitution, and it is his responsibility to preserve Iraq's independence, sovereignty, and unity, so the reform path requires for this position to take its role to protect the state and its institutions from any danger."

He added, "the Iraqi crisis is an opportunity for success. It is a coincidence that it is available only in a country like Iraq that has as resources and diversity as it has challenges. So here is the President's main role in investing this opportunity in the interest of Iraq and the Iraqis."

Ahmed, the current Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region, also stressed the necessity of solidarity and cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil in addressing all challenges and "reach fruitful results in the country's interest."

He said, "despite the outstanding crises between the Kurdistan region and the federal government, the Iraqis witnessed great results when the two parties worked together, as in cases of solidarity in major security issues, defeating ISIS, liberating Iraq from the terrorism, the issue of displacement, and influential diplomatic efforts, And reviving ambitious strategic projects in industry and agriculture, and others."

"The president's duty is an effective tool which needs wise power to solve many problems that have restricted the position for a long time."

On Wednesday, the Parliamentary alliance "Saving the Homeland," which is consisted of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Sadrist bloc, and Al-Siyada Alliance, announced their nominees officially for the Iraqi Presidency and the Prime minister.

In a press conference, the head of the Sadrist bloc, Hassan al-Adhari, said, "our candidate for Presidency is Rebar Ahmed (the Current Minister of Interior in Kurdistan), and for the position of Prime Minister is Muhammad Jaafar Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (the current Iraqi Ambassador to London)."

Muqtada al-Sadr, considered announcing the candidates of the highest positions in Iraq by the tripartite Alliance as "a unique and important achievement."

The Head of the State of Law Coalition, Nuri al-Maliki, challenged the tripartite Alliance to collect the necessary number of deputies in the next election session scheduled for electing the Iraqi President.

"The other party (the tripartite alliance) can't collect 220 deputies in the presidential election session," Al-Maliki said in an interview.

According to Article 70 of the Iraqi Constitution, the President of the Republic should attain a two-thirds majority of the total number of deputies, which is also the needed quorum to open the session for election.