Presidential election in Iraq postponed again

The presidential election, which has led to a deepening of the political crisis in Iraq, has been pushed to a later date once again. The parliamentary session scheduled to convene today could not be held because a sufficient number of deputies were not present. This situation also occurred just a few days ago, on January 27, when the meeting could not be held.

According to the political order that has taken shape in Iraq since the regime change in 2003, the presidency is chosen from among the candidates of Kurdish parties. Following the passing of former leader Jalal Talabani, the position has long been held by members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Following the general elections held in November of last year, the Coordination Framework, consisting of leaders of Shiite parties that emerged as the strongest group in the country, had designated former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as their candidate for prime minister. However, the continued inability to elect a president remains a major obstacle to the full formation of the government.