US pressure forces Iraqi parliament to delay vote on President’s election

BAGHDAD, Iraq (MNTV) — Iraq’s parliament has again postponed a vote to elect a new president on Sunday, with lawmakers citing pressure from the United States as a key factor in the delay, deepening a political stalemate fueled by Kurdish divisions and disputes over the country’s next leadership.

The adjournment marked the second delay in less than a week. Parliament’s media office said Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi will hold consultations with leaders of parliamentary blocs to set a new date, stressing the need to adhere to constitutional deadlines.

Under Iraq’s constitution, lawmakers must elect a president within 30 days of the first parliamentary session, which was held on December 29 following elections in November. 

Once elected, the president has 15 days to nominate the candidate of the largest parliamentary bloc to form a government, which must then win a confidence vote within 30 days.

Iraq’s power-sharing system reserves the presidency for a Kurd, the prime ministership for a Shiite Muslim, and the parliamentary speakership for a Sunni Muslim. 

The current impasse centers on disagreements between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which have failed to agree on a unified presidential nominee.

The standoff has intensified after the KDP broke with past practice by putting forward Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein as its own candidate, challenging the PUK’s long-standing hold on the post, according to regional media reports.

The delay has heightened concerns over prolonged political paralysis, as pressure grows to complete government formation amid internal divisions and external scrutiny over Iraq’s future leadership.