Parliament says presidential vote will proceed as scheduled, denying postponement reports

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s parliament will proceed as scheduled with today’s session to elect the president, the Media Department of the Council of Representatives said, denying reports of a postponement.

In a statement, the department said, “We confirm that the session scheduled for tomorrow to elect the President of the Republic will take place at its designated time, and reports circulating about a postponement are not correct.”

Reports had circulated that the session was postponed until next Sunday amid ongoing discussions and disputes among political parties. Two senior political figures also said talks were underway to delay the vote because the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have not reached agreement on a presidential candidate.

Sami al-Jizani, a member of the Hikma Movement, said there was a desire by the two Kurdish parties to delay the vote and extend negotiations until next Sunday, adding that the Shiite Coordination Framework is divided, with “70% of the Framework set to vote for the PUK candidate.”

The Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Majid Shingali said the postponement was requested by the PUK, arguing the party “realizes it will not secure the required majority of votes” if the session proceeds as scheduled.

Parliament’s statement came after lawmakers completed constitutional and legal steps related to the nomination process and published the final list of candidates for the largely ceremonial post, which plays a central role in forming the next government.

Parliament on Friday released a final list of 19 presidential candidates after the Federal Supreme Court ruled on objections submitted by applicants whose names were initially excluded. The court said it decided on “twenty-eight objections submitted,” upheld the exclusion of 24, and ruled that “the exclusion of four of them was invalid,” obligating parliament to add those names. The decisions were described as final and binding.

The confirmed list includes incumbent President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, former foreign minister Fuad Hussein, and senior Patriotic Union of Kurdistan figure Nizar Amedi, who was formally nominated earlier this month after the nomination window closed. Parliamentary sources previously said Rashid submitted his candidacy independently, without endorsement from the PUK bloc, while the Kurdistan Democratic Party has nominated Fuad Hussein.

Under Article 72 of Iraq’s constitution, parliament must elect a president within 30 days of its first session following the election of the speaker and deputies. Article 76 stipulates that the newly elected president has 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government.

The vote follows broader negotiations over government formation. On Saturday, Iraq’s Shiite Coordination Framework said it nominated State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister by “majority vote,” adding urgency to completing the presidential election that triggers the next constitutional steps.