KDP confirms: Zebari is the best candidate for the Iraqi Presidency

Shafaq News/ The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's parliamentary bloc, Vian Sabri, said that Hoshyar Zebari is the best candidate for the Presidency of Iraq.

Sabri told Shafaq News Agency, "The position of the President of the Republic, according to the constitution, is the highest authority. It represents the head of state and the symbol of the nation's unity and the country's sovereignty. Therefore, the President protects adherence to the constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity."

"Hoshyar Zebari, the candidate for this position, is open to all political parties; therefore, he is the best in representing all political spectrums in Iraq, especially due to his experience, wisdom, and political and diplomatic statesmanship."

Earlier, KDP said that the Presidency position is an entitlement of the Kurdish component, not a party itself.

The KDP spokesperson Mahmoud Mohammed's remarks come amid a disagreement between the two leading Kurdish parties in the Kurdistan Region over the next President of the Republic of Iraq.

While the PUK insists upon naming Barham Salih for a second mandate, its rival (Kurdistan Democratic Party-KDP) does not agree that he has "adequately discharged" the role of President and named Hoshyar Zebari as its candidate for the position.

Per the power-sharing formula between the two leading Kurdish parties, the President of the Republic was usually named by the PUK. However, this might change in light of the parliamentary election results that saw the KDP securing 31 seats, compared to the PUK's 17.