The coordinating framework will decide the matter: either consensus or a national space for choosing the president of the republic.
The coordinating framework will decide the matter: either consensus or a national space for choosing the president of the republic.
2-5-2026
The political scene in the Kurdistan Region appears to be more complex than in Baghdad, as the Kurdish political establishment continues to insist on its own candidates without any agreement between the two main parties in the region (the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party) on any candidate for the presidency. This prompted the Coordination Framework to issue a statement Wednesday evening, calling on the Kurds to expedite a decision and giving parliamentarians the green light to choose whomever they deem suitable for the presidency. The Framework’s statement emphasized that the delay in resolving the presidential issue is not due to the dispute over Nouri al-Maliki’s candidacy for prime minister, a claim denied by political figures within the State of Law Coalition.
Arif al-Hamami, a member of the State of Law Coalition, told Al-Maalomah, “The delay in resolving constitutional entitlements and presidential positions will not harm any one group in particular; rather, the Kurds will be the most affected, as the presidency is their right.”
He added, “The talk linking the presidential election to Nouri al-Maliki, the candidate of the Coordination Framework for Prime Minister, is incorrect. The delay in resolving the presidential issue cannot be attributed to al-Maliki.”
He explained, “Everyone knows there are Kurdish differences among the various Kurdish factions and parties regarding the presidency. They haven’t agreed on a specific candidate, so the problem is clear: they haven’t agreed on anyone for the position. Al-Maliki has no connection to the delay in resolving the presidential issue.”
For his part, Ali al-Fayli, a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, told Al-Maalomah, “The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan rejected all proposals presented during previous discussions regarding the presidency.” He pointed out that “the gap between the two parties is significant, and there are ongoing attempts to transfer the Kurdistan Region’s disputes to Baghdad. This negatively impacts constitutional entitlements and complicates the political landscape at the federal level. Furthermore, continuing this approach will hinder solutions and delay the resolution of sovereign issues.”
The Coordination Framework called on Kurdish parties to expedite the resolution of the presidential vacancy, emphasizing that members of parliament are free to choose whomever they deem suitable for the presidency should no agreement be reached on any of the candidates.
A statement issued by the Framework, received by Al-Maalomah, indicated that “the Coordination Framework held its 262nd regular meeting at Hakim’s office to follow up on the latest developments on the national and regional scenes and discuss the current situation. It reiterated the importance of respecting and adhering to constitutional timelines as stipulated by the Iraqi Constitution, calling for a swift resolution to the presidential issue.” The
statement stressed “the importance of our brothers in the Kurdistan Region paying close attention to the proposals presented by the Coordination Framework’s delegation during its recent visit to the region, which would contribute to accelerating consensus and ending the current deadlock.” The Framework also urged its members of parliament to “remain free in their choices should a single presidential candidate not be agreed upon, emphasizing that the continued paralysis of state institutions is incompatible with the magnitude of the political, economic, and security challenges facing the country.”
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