What's next after Iraq's parliament failed to elect a president?

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The Iraqi Parliament failed to elect a president on Saturday after Iran-backed groups boycotted the session, and the quorum to elect the next president was not met.

A total of 126 parliament members in Iraq's 329-seat house of representatives chose to boycott Saturday's session. They were Iran-backed Shiite and Kurdish political parties and alliances, including the Shiite Coordination Framework, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), and Kurdistan Justice Group (KJG).

Only 202 members of parliament, mainly the members of the "Saving the Homeland" alliance, were present. That number did not meet the two-thirds quorum, or 220 seats necessary to elect a new president.

As a result of Saturday's failure, the parliament postponed the vote until Wednesday.

Saturday's failed session also underscored the deep divide in Iraqi politics between Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr, the October election's big winner, and the powerful Shiite Coordination Framework that called for the boycott.

So far, the candidates put forward for president have been viewed by Iran-aligned groups and Iran itself as Western-leaning and a threat to their interests in Iraq.

Parliament's failure to elect a president once again opens the door for talks on reaching a consensus power-sharing agreement to form the next Iraqi government.

However, it is more likely that the two rivals led by the Saving the Homeland alliance and the Shiite Coordination Framework will continue their race to convince independent members of parliament and other smaller blocs and parties to join them on Wednesday.

Iran invited the Sunni Al-Siyada alliance's leaders, Mohammed Al-Halbousi and Khamis Khanjar, to visit Tehran and meet with the country's top leaders on Sunday. However, the media office of Al-Halbousi announced on Saturday night that the visit was canceled. The invitation was interpreted by Iraqi political observers as another direct interference by Iran to push for a consensus-based government so its political allies in Iraq retain their power.

So, what's next? A win for Sadr's allies would threaten to exclude Tehran's allies from power for the first time since 2003. The delay prolongs a bitter deadlock in Iraqi politics months after the October elections.

The deadline for electing a new president is Apr. 6. If parliament fails to do so by then, it (per the Iraqi constitution) will have to be dissolved, and another election will have to be held within a year. Meanwhile, the current caretaker government will have to continue running the country until a new government is formed.

While it remains unclear who will come out as the winner, it's crystal clear that the biggest loser will again be the Iraqi people, who have suffered under a series of corrupt and inefficient governments since 2003.