Shafaq News/ The KDP presidential candidate Hoshyar Zebari provided "full guarantee" that the Popular Mobilization Authority (PMF) would not be affected negatively by the tripartite Alliance (the Sadrist, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Al-Siyada."
Zebari said in a TV interview, "(the KDP head Masrour) Barzani's initiative came after the good relations with the Al-Siyada Alliance and the Sadrist Movement."
He said, "The recent visit to Najaf and our meeting with Al-Sadr was positive, and we are in favor of finding a solution to the crisis between the Sadrist and the Coordination Framework," adding, "We are concerned about the Shiite-Shiite dispute."
"It is not in our interest to have a governmental or constitutional gap, and we are working to expedite forming a government with a broad participation of national forces."
"The recent elections changed many of the rules of the political game, and our alliance with the Sadrist and Al-Siyada is strong and coherent."
He continued, "There is no attempt to prejudice the Popular Mobilization Authority, and I am giving a full guarantee that the PMF will not be affected by the tripartite alliance."
Concerning the dispute with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over the position of President of the Republic, Zebari said, "Our partnership with PUK will remain, whether the presidency is for KDP or them."
Earlier today, the leader of the Sadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, called his representatives to not vote for any candidate who has not met the necessary conditions for the presidency.
"If the candidate of our ally, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, has not met the requirements for the presidency, then I call our deputies not to vote for him," Al-Sadr said on Twitter.
"We are advocates of reform, not of power or authority," he added.
A source close to the leader of the Sadrist Movement clarified that al-Sadr's tweet confirms his support to Hoshyar Zebari.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that Al-Sadr directed his bloc to vote exclusively for the Kurdistan Democratic Party candidate.
"His Tweet aimed to confirm that supporting Zebari is the right decision since the KDP leader is not condemned and had no prior conviction. In this way, there will be no suspicions against the new President and the Sadrist."
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.
