Shafaq News– Baghdad

A source close to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid said on Monday that he is set to withdraw his candidacy for a second term ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary vote.

Parliament said on Sunday that the session would proceed as scheduled, amid ongoing political talks and competition among multiple candidates for the largely ceremonial post.

Within the Kurdish political camp, the presidential race has narrowed following recent withdrawals and alignments. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has consolidated behind Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein after Nozad Hadi withdrew, while the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has nominated Nizar Amedi.

Earlier this month, the Council of Representatives announced that 15 candidates had met the legal requirements to run for the presidency. The Federal Supreme Court later reinstated four additional names, raising the final number of candidates to 19.

MP Suzanne Al-Saad of the Al-Nahj Al-Watani Alliance told Shafaq News that once the presidential vote is completed, the newly elected president will formally assign Nouri al-Maliki, leader of the State of Law Coalition and the Coordination Framework’s nominee, to form the next government.