The Shiite Coordination Framework to vote for Hosyar Zebari for the Iraqi Presidency, KDP advisor says

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) expects the Shiite Coordination Framework to vote for Hoshyar Zebari as the republic's next president.

Masoud Haidar, the KDP head Masrour Barzani's advisor, said on Twitter, "We expect the Framework to take a positive position and vote for Hoshyar Zebari for the presidency."

Haidar said that the Framework would vote for the KDP member as a response to President Barzani's initiative and the favorable positions of the leader of the Sadrist Movement Muqtada al-Sadr and the efforts of the Sunni component led by Muhammad al-Halbousi and Khamis al-Khanjar.

Earlier, in light of the head of KDP's initiative, a meeting was held among the President of Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, the Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Muhammad al-Halbousi, the Head of Al-Siyada Coalition, Khamis Al-Khanjar, and the leader of the Sadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr.

Leader Barzani said his initiative aimed "to address the problems and prepare a suitable political environment as well as remove the obstacles hindering the political process in Iraq."

Tension has been raised between the two main Kurdish parties regarding the Presidency's post. 

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) nominated Barham Salih, a decision which was rejected by its rival, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Instead, the KDP nominated former foreign and finance minister Hoshyar Zebari.

A long-standing agreement among the Kurds usually sees a PUK nominee installed as president, while the KDP is left to run the Kurdistan region.

But the KDP is seeking to adjust the accounts after securing 31 seats in the 329-seat parliament in October's election, while the Kurdistan Alliance, led by the PUK, won only 17 seats.