Iraq’s ruling bloc deadlocked over presidential nominee

Shafaq News– Baghdad

Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) failed on Monday to agree on a Kurdish candidate for the presidency, a source told Shafaq News, as the constitutional deadline to elect the head of state approaches.

The source clarified that that talks inside the largest parliamentary bloc ended without consensus, with divisions over whether to back Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) nominee Fuad Hussein or Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) candidate Nizar Amedi.

Under Iraq’s constitution, parliament must elect a president within 30 days of its first session. With lawmakers convening on December 29, 2025, the deadline expires late on January 28.

However, the Framework contacted Supreme Judicial Council chief Faiq Zaidan to ask whether Tuesday’s parliamentary session could be postponed to allow more time to reach agreement on a single nominee. Despite the request, parliament remains scheduled to meet on January 27 at 11 a.m. local time, with the election of the president listed as the sole agenda item.

Fourteen candidates are officially approved for the post, reduced from more than 40 applicants, though the race has narrowed to Hussein and Amedi. The CF met separately with delegations from both the KDP and the PUK, urging a deal to ensure the vote proceeds within the constitutional time limit.

Since 2005, Iraq’s power-sharing system has reserved the presidency –which has traditionally been filled by the PUK– for the Kurds, while Shiite parties hold the premiership and Sunni blocs control the speakership.

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