Politics

Iraqi Parliament fails to elect country's president for third time

According to the Iraqi Parliament website, the session was adjourned as a result. No date has yet been set for another vote.

Mustafa Shilani 2022/03/30 20:50

The Iraqi Parliament. (Photo: Parliament’s Presidency)

Iraq Iraq KDP Iraqi Parliament Muqtada al-Sadr Iraqi presidency Rebar Ahmed Saving the Homeland Shiite Coordination Framework

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Parliament could not elect the country's president for the third time on Wednesday after the Shiite Coordination Framework (SCF) boycotted the session.

Only 178 lawmakers attended Wednesday's session, which is less than the two-thirds quorum required to elect one of the candidates for the largely ceremonial position.

According to the Iraqi Parliament website, the session was adjourned as a result. No date has yet been set for another vote.

The Saving the Homeland coalition has nominated Rebar Ahmed of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for the presidency. The tripartite alliance includes the Sadrist Movement, the KDP, and the Sunni Siyada (Sovereignty) Alliance.

Parliament needs a two-thirds quorum, at least 220 out of the 329 deputies, to elect a president.

The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, pledged not to ally with the SCF, which primarily consists of Iran-backed political factions, declaring that the current political deadlock is "easier" than agreeing or compromising with his rivals.

Parliament previously failed to elect a president in February and last Saturday due to the lack of a quorum caused by repeated SCF boycotts of its scheduled sessions.