Amidst the inter-Shia tensions, Al Sadr doesn’t hold the largest coalition… yet.

Posted on by Elijah J Magnier

Written by – Elijah J. Magnier:

The Iraqi Parliament will elect Monday the 7th the President of the Republic, amid great quarrels between the different political parties. New names have been forwarded to the Parliament for the position of President beside the two primary candidates, Hoshyar Zebari and Barham Saleh. The latest exceptional development has been manifested by the highest judiciary authority represented by the Federal Court, which holds the conclusive decision to interpret the constitution. Judges have determined their position on the election mechanism of the President related to Article 70 and, above all, they explain who holds the largest coalition of deputies to elect the new Prime Minister.

The number of candidates who want to run for the Presidency has reached twenty. The most fortunate is the Suleimaniya Talibani family’s candidate (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan – 17 MPs), not the Erbil Barzani (Kurdistan Democratic Party – 31 MPs) candidate, especially after Muqtada al-Sadr’s categorical stance against Hoshyar Zebari. Dr Abdul Latif Ibrahim Rashid, whom Sulaymaniyah supports, has the best chance to win and become the new President. 

Hoyshar Zebari’s chances became zero after al-Sadr announced that the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s candidate (headed by Massoud Barzani) did not meet the conditions to lead Iraq. Therefore, the Sadrist MPs (73) would not vote for him. This was due to the alleged corruption and accusations of misuse of government funds that led to his removal from office as Minister of Finance in 2016. 

The current President Barham Salih also does not have a great chance to win because of the policy he followed in the past four years, which alarmed many political blocs and, above all, Kurdistan – Erbil. 

Presidential candidate Abdul Latif Ibrahim Rashid has political and family connections because of his association with the wife of the late Jalal Talabani and being a former Minister of Water Resources and an advisor to President Fouad Masum. The Federal Court announced that the forthcoming Parliamentary session due this Monday needs the presence of at least 222 deputies out of 329 in the first ballot to elect the new President. However, if none of the candidates gets 

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Proofread by: Maurice Brasher

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Published by Elijah J Magnier

Veteran War Zone Correspondent and Senior Political Risk Analyst with over 35 years' experience covering the Middle East and acquiring in-depth experience, robust contacts and political knowledge in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Syria. Specialised in terrorism and counter-terrorism, intelligence, political assessments, strategic planning and thorough insight in political networks in the region. Covered on the ground the Israeli invasion to Lebanon (1st war 1982), the Iraq-Iran war, the Lebanese civil war, the Gulf war (1991), the war in the former Yugoslavia (1992-1996), the US invasion to Iraq (2003 to date), the second war in Lebanon (2006), the war in Libya and Syria (2011 to date). Lived for many years in Lebanon, Bosnia, Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria.