Iraq sets October 2nd for election of new country president

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Parliament chief, Mohamed al-Halbousi, set on Tuesday the second of October as a final date for the parliament’s election of the new president of the country.

He made the announcement in a speech during a parliament session that was also scheduled to witness the formation of the chamber’s committees.

Halbousi said Monday he had received 30 applications for the largely ceremonial presidential post.

“We commit to the constitutional timetable, and if the issue is not resolved through consensus, we will resort to a poll,” he clarified.

Based on a political system adopted since the overthrow of late leader Saddam Hussein in 2003, Kurdsh assume Iraq’s presidency, while Sunnis are entitled to parliament presidency, and Shias for the prime minister’s office.

Recently, a split was reported among Kurdistan Region’s leading parties, with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) refusing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) nomination of former Kurdish premier Barham Saleh for presidency, instead backing Fuad Hussein, a former chief of staff at the Kurdish presidency. It seemed that both parties were breaking away from a longtime agreement to give Iraq’s presidency to PUK and Kurdistan’s premiership to the PUK.

Other runners for the post are former MP Sarwa Abdul-Wahed and former Iraqi ambassador to Vatican, Omar Barzanji.

Iraqi parliament elections were held in May, and the parliament elected Halbousi president earlier this month.