Early election in two months is mandatory if parliament fails to elect new president, MP says

Shafaq News/ Independent lawmaker Bassem Khashan on Sunday said that the Iraqi constitution obliges the legislative body to conduct an early election if it fails to elect a new head of the state within two months of the constitutional ultimatum.

Khashan posted on Facebook earlier today, "the decision of the Supreme Federal Court no. 51/Federal/2010 that allows the president of the republic to stay in office until electing a new president is wrong because a blocking third could easily halt the election for another four years; which is possible now or then."

"Will the [incumbent] president and prime minister remain in office for four years?" he asked.

The Iraqi constitution stipulates that the outgoing president remains in office until a new president is elected within 30 days from the parliament's inauguration session.

"This time limit is inevitable. It cannot be overrun. Legitimizing the unconditional overrun of this time limit means that the outgoing president and prime minister can continue until the end of the current parliamentary term," Khashan elaborated, "which contradicts the principles of democracy. The failure to elect a president within the time limit set by the constitution requires holding an early election within 60 days from the last scheduled session to elect a president."

"This is the 'nuclear' solution that obliges the contesting forces to respect the time limit. Otherwise, the country is held hostage to the third who has an interest in keeping the president and prime minister in office.".