Iraqi Parliament Completes Leadership Election, Opens Presidential Nominations Amid Kurdish Divisions

Peregraf — The Iraqi Parliament has completed the election of its presidency—comprising the Speaker and two deputies—and officially opened the nomination period for the post of President of the Republic, which will remain open for three days.

During the second day of the parliamentary session on Monday, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) changed its candidate for the position of Second Deputy Speaker, nominating Farhad Atroushi in place of Shakhawan Abdullah. Atroushi won the post after defeating Rebour Karim, the candidate of the Halwest (Attitude) Movement, securing 178 votes against 104.

On Sunday, Parliament elected the Speaker and the First Deputy Speaker in a single round of voting. However, the position of Second Deputy Speaker—traditionally allocated to the Kurds—remained unresolved after two rounds, as no candidate achieved the required majority of 50 percent plus one (166 votes). In both rounds, Rebour Karim had led by a wide margin over the KDP’s initial nominee, Shakhawan Abdullah. The impasse was broken only after the KDP replaced its candidate on Monday.

According to the Iraqi Constitution, Parliament must elect the President of the Republic within 30 days of choosing the Speaker, requiring a two-thirds majority (220 votes). Once elected, the president has 15 days to designate a prime minister, who is then granted up to 90 days to form a cabinet and seek parliamentary confidence.

On the Kurdish front, the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have yet to reach a unified position in Baghdad, particularly regarding the presidency, a post traditionally held by a Kurd. Iraqi political forces have repeatedly urged both parties to resolve their differences, warning that continued division could further complicate the next phase of government formation.

In terms of parliamentary strength, the Construction and Development Coalition, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, emerged as the largest bloc with 46 seats, followed by the State of Law Coalition with 29 seats. Taqaddum and the KDP each secured 27 seats, while the PUK won 18 seats. Meanwhile, the Shiite Coordination Framework announced that it has formed the largest parliamentary bloc and reaffirmed its intention to nominate the next prime minister, stressing its commitment to constitutional timelines.

On December 29, 2025, KDP President Masoud Barzani called for a unified Kurdish approach to the position of President of the Republic of Iraq, emphasizing that the post is a Kurdish entitlement and should not be treated as the exclusive property of any single party. In a statement, Barzani said all Kurdish parties must be convinced that the presidency belongs to the Kurds and that the mechanism for selecting the president should be changed so the officeholder genuinely represents the people of Kurdistan.

Barzani proposed several options to ensure Kurdish consensus: the Kurdistan Parliament could nominate a candidate; all Kurdish parties could convene to agree on a nominee; or Kurdish blocs in the Iraqi Parliament could select a candidate. He stressed that the president need not come from the KDP or the PUK, noting that the nominee could be from another party or an independent figure, provided they enjoy broad Kurdish support.

Meanwhile, a senior PUK source in Baghdad revealed that the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework has given a political “green light” to Bafel Talabani, President of the PUK, signaling readiness to vote for the PUK’s nominee for the presidency. The source told Peregraf that Shiite leaders have also urged the KDP to reach an agreement with the PUK, warning that failure to do so would prompt the Shiite bloc to move forward with supporting the PUK candidate.

According to the source, Shiite parties stressed the need to maintain political balance, arguing that it is untenable for the KDP to retain the presidency of the Kurdistan Region, the premiership, and key ministerial portfolios in the regional government, while the PUK is excluded from the federal presidency in Baghdad.