Iraqi presidential contenders lobby for support in Baghdad
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq's top presidential contenders continued negotiations on Thursday with leaders of winning coalitions in May's national elections in hopes of securing their support as the constitutional deadline for a parliamentary vote on the matter approaches.
During post-meeting interviews with Kurdistan 24, some high-ranking political figures stressed the need for the Kurds to arrive at a deal among themselves and present a single name at the session. Otherwise, they said, lawmakers would decide on the victor among the several running competitors.
The post of Iraq's president, while an important and coveted position, is largely ceremonial and grants few major powers. In Iraq's system of power-sharing, it has been held by a Kurd since 2006.
The parliament also announced that, among 30 individuals who had been nominated for the position, it had accepted only seven. It is likely, however, that the vote would come down to the candidates of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
"God willing, they will agree on a single candidate and we are talking to concerned parties so they nominate one person," said former Prime Minister and head of the al-Wataniya Coalition Ayad Allawi to Kurdistan 24 after a meeting with the KDP’s candidate, Fuad Hussein.
On Wednesday, former Prime Minister and leader of the State of Law Coalition Nouri al-Maliki, voiced a similar stance, saying, "We prefer for the Kurdish brothers to agree on one candidate."
Allawi, pointing to a fragile political climate in Iraq with deadly intermittent protests in the central and southern provinces, stated that agreeing on a single candidate would be best for the whole country, as it would expedite the process of government formation.
The PUK’s candidate and former Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih met with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and agreed on the importance of "commitment with constitutional timelines," according to a statement Abadi's office released.
Salih has also been moving from office to office in Baghdad as the head of a PUK delegation in recent days to vie for the support of the major blocs in the Iraqi parliament, presumably in anticipation of a potential vote.
Most influential figures have appeared to be hesitant to state their preference for one candidate over the other, though Maliki and some major Sunni parties have expressed that they hope that Hussein takes the post.
When speaking with Kurdistan 24 early Thursday, shortly after meeting with Hussein, former Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri also showed a preference, saying that the KDP candidate "deserves the position for which he was nominated."
Editing by John J. Catherine