Coordination Framework, Kurdish Parties to hold talks on Iraq Presidency
Shafaq News– Baghdad
Formal talks have begun between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and the Shiite Coordination Framework to decide Iraq’s next president in line with constitutional timelines, according to a political source.
PUK lawmaker Ayat Adham told Shafaq News on Monday that political consensus remains a key factor in forming the next federal government, adding that electing a president and naming a new cabinet would have positive implications for the Kurdistan Region and help facilitate the formation of its regional government.
“The PUK has nominated Nizar Amedi as its sole candidate for the presidency,” Adham said, noting that the party intends to reach an understanding with the KDP and travel to Baghdad to meet the Coordination Framework and other political forces to settle the post.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party confirmed that it has put forward Fuad Hussein and Nawzad Hadi as its candidates for the position.
Earlier on Monday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi said the number of candidates for the presidency had risen to 44, following the closure of the nomination window at the end of the official working day.
Separately, discussions within the Coordination Framework, a coalition of mainly Shiite political blocs, are also advancing on the selection of the next prime minister. Fahd al-Jubouri, a senior figure in the Al-Hikma Movement, said an upcoming Framework meeting would focus on the mechanism for choosing a prime minister and narrowing the field of nine proposed names.
Al-Jubouri revealed to Shafaq News that Basim al-Badri and Hamid al-Shatri currently enjoy strong chances, while noting that a third candidate from outside the existing list could be considered if consensus is not reached.
Under Iraq’s political system, the presidency has traditionally been held by a Kurdish figure, most often from the PUK, while the prime minister’s post goes to a Shiite nominee selected by the largest parliamentary bloc, currently the Coordination Framework, which commands around 180 seats.
The president must be elected by a two-thirds majority in parliament, after which he formally tasks the nominee of the largest bloc with forming the government.
