SLC, PUK review Iraq government formation amid presidential deadlock

Shafaq News- Baghdad

State of Law Coalition (SLC) leader Nouri Al-Maliki and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani discussed on Sunday Iraq’s political impasse and efforts to form a new government.

A statement from Al-Maliki’s office indicated that discussions addressed recent political and security developments and the need for coordination among key forces to preserve stability and reinforce state institutions. Both sides stressed resolving the presidency within constitutional mechanisms and affirmed that the premiership should go to the nominee of the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), the largest bloc in parliament.

Under Iraq’s power-sharing arrangement, the presidency is allocated to a Kurd, the premiership to a Shiite, and the speakership to a Sunni Arab. Attempts to elect a president have repeatedly failed due to divisions between the two main Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the PUK, preventing quorum.

Read more: Iraq slips into constitutional vacuum as presidential deadlock drags on

Parliament Speaker Haibet Al-Halbousi has requested a Federal Supreme Court interpretation of Article 72 (Second/B), which sets a 30-day deadline from parliament’s first session to elect a president. The deadline expired on January 28, and although sessions continue, a vote has not been scheduled due to low attendance.

A two-thirds quorum is required to elect a president, who then tasks the largest bloc with forming a cabinet. The CF remains split over Al-Maliki’s candidacy, with the head of the Al-Hikma Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim, and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq leader Qais Al-Khazali expressing reservations. International reactions, including warnings from the United States over the potential implications of his selection, have also raised concerns among some Sunni factions.

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