30 candidates for the presidency… and the National Union nominates three names
30 candidates for the presidency… and the National Union nominates three names
2026-01-04 05:01
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The number of candidates for the position of President of the Republic of Iraq has risen to 30 by the end of official working hours today, Sunday, 24 hours before the deadline for submitting the names of candidates, which ends at the end of working hours tomorrow, Monday .
The Iraqi parliament had set Monday, January 5, as the deadline for submitting applications to run for the position of President of the Republic .
The Speaker’s office of the House of Representatives said in a statement issued Saturday evening, which was received by Shafaq News Agency, that the deadline for submitting nominations for the position of President of the Republic will be next Monday, January 5, 2026, until the end of official working hours .
A parliamentary source told Shafaq News Agency that “the number of candidates who officially submitted their nomination papers to the legal department of the House of Representatives until the end of official working hours reached 30 candidates .”
Meanwhile, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is likely to officially submit one or two names from the three candidates whose names were agreed upon within the PUK’s political bureau for the position of President of the Republic .
A source in the Union told Shafaq News Agency that “there are three names nominated within the Union for the position of President of the Republic, namely the current President Abdul Latif Rashid, the former Minister of Environment Nizar Amidi, and the current Minister of Justice Khalid Shawani .”
He pointed out that there was a heated debate and dialogue in the political council of the Patriotic Union to choose one of the candidates for the position of President of the Republic, explaining that “there is competition between Nizar Amidi and Khalid Shawani to choose and support one of them for the position of President .”
Commenting on this nomination, Jamal Shukr, a leader in the Union, told Shafaq News Agency, “There are many figures in the Union, but a figure agreed upon will be nominated and supported for the position of President of the Republic .”
He confirmed that the political bureau of the National Union will officially announce its candidate for the position of President of the Republic in the coming days .
He added, “There are understandings and dialogues that will take place with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Coordination Framework, and the National Political Council to elect the President of the Republic within the constitutionally specified timeframe .”
On December 31, the Iraqi Parliament announced the opening of nominations for the position of President of the Republic for a period of three days, based on Nomination Law No. (8) of 2012, and called on those who wish to apply and who meet the legal requirements to submit their official applications .
The law stipulates that the candidate must be an Iraqi by birth and of Iraqi parents, of full legal capacity, have reached the age of forty, enjoy a good reputation and political experience, hold at least a primary university degree, and not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude or subject to accountability and justice procedures .
The Iraqi constitution requires the House of Representatives to elect a president within a period not exceeding 30 days from the date of its first session .
The Iraqi parliament held its first session of its new term on December 29th .
shafaq.com
