Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Parliament in Crisis-Hit Iraq Vows to Elect New President

Parliament in Crisis-Hit Iraq Vows to Elect New President

Iraq's parliament will meet Thursday to "elect the president", speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi's office said, in a surprise move seen at trying to end months of political impasse.

The oil-rich but troubled country has already made three failed attempts this year to elect a new head of state, in February and March.

More than a year after Iraq's last general election, Halbousi’s office said Tuesday that the parliamentary session two days later would have "a single item on the agenda, the election of the president of the Republic".

Iraqis last voted on October 10, 2021 in a general election brought forward by a wave of mass protests against endemic corruption, rampant unemployment and decaying infrastructure.

Ahead of Halbousi’s announcement, the United Nations mission had urged political factions to end the deadlock, warning that "Iraq is running out of time".

The country has yet to form a new government after the 2021 election, leaving caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in charge.

Iraq's rival Shiite political factions have been vying for influence and the right to select a new premier and form a government.

The standoff has seen both sides set up protest camps and at times has sparked deadly street clashes in Baghdad.

On the one hand is influential cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who wants parliament dissolved and new elections.

On the other sits the Coordination Framework -- an alliance of pro-Iran Shiite factions including former paramilitaries that wants a new government before fresh elections are held.

Tensions boiled over on August 29 when more than 30 Sadr supporters were killed in clashes with Iran-backed factions and the army in Baghdad's Green Zone, the capital's fortified government and diplomatic district.

'Stifling crisis'


On August 30, current President Barham Salih urged "new, early elections in accordance with a national consensus", saying these could provide "an exit from the stifling crisis".

The largely honorific post of Iraqi president is traditionally reserved for a Kurd

It generally goes to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), while the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) keeps control over the affairs of autonomous Kurdistan in northern Iraq.

But the KDP is also eyeing the presidency and could present its own candidate on Thursday.

There are currently two obvious contenders: the PUK's Salih, the incumbent, and current Kurdistan Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed of the KDP.

Sajad Jiyad, researcher at think tank Century International, said he expected quorum -- 220 deputies out of the 329 in parliament -- to be reached and for the vote to go ahead.

But he told AFP that much depended on whether the PUK and KDP could compromise.

"Has the (Coordination) Framework managed to convince the PUK and the KDP to come to an agreement?

"Will there be one candidate? Will it be Barham? Or two candidates, Barham and someone the KDP backs?" he said.

Once parliament elects a new president, that person must then designate a prime minister, who is chosen by the largest coalition in parliament.

Jiyad said that if a president were elected, the likely candidate for premier would be Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Coordination Framework's choice for the post.

"The Sadrists are not likely to be happy" with this, Jiyad said.

"Maybe they will encourage protests and prepare for the next elections."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×