Iraqi Parliament Speaker and his two deputies sit during an official meeting at the Council of Representatives in Baghdad, with national flags displayed behind them.
Iraq’s parliament sets April 11 for presidential election session
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Council of Representatives set Saturday, April 11, as the date for a session to elect a president, parliament announced Monday, in a bid to end a stalemate that has left the country without a functioning government since November’s elections.
The decision was announced following an expanded meeting between the parliament presidency and heads of parliamentary blocs. The presidency called on political leaders “to assume their responsibilities in completing the constitutional entitlements and forming a government capable of facing challenges,” citing the country’s security and economic conditions as making a resolution urgent.
Electing a president is a prerequisite for naming a prime minister-designate and forming a government. The process has been paralyzed by a dispute between the KDP and PUK over the presidency — the PUK has nominated Nizar Amedi while the KDP backs Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein — as well as divisions over the prime ministerial candidate.
The Coordination Framework nominated former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in January, a move that drew internal divisions and direct U.S. opposition. President Donald Trump said Washington would not continue support for Iraq if al-Maliki returned to office.
The April 11 date comes as Iraq navigates one of its most severe crises in years, with the regional war disrupting oil exports, closing airspace, prompting NATO’s withdrawal and fueling repeated attacks on security forces and diplomatic missions — all without a permanent government in place.