Iraq Parliament opens presidential vote with 16 candidates
2026-04-11T11:12:25+00:00
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Parliament convened on Saturday to elect a new president, with 16 candidates competing for the post.
Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi opened the session after securing quorum with 223 lawmakers present out of a total of 329 members, as the chamber moved directly into voting procedures.
Al-Halbousi said 18 candidates had initially registered for the race, but two —Asu Faridun Ali and incumbent President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid— withdrew, leaving 16 contenders.
Read more: Iraq’s April 11 presidential vote: Who will attend?
