Iraq’s parliament to elect new president in Tuesday session

Iraq's parliament is set to hold a crucial session to choose the nation's next president, a key step in forming the government following the most recent general elections.

Session Announced Amid Constitutional Deadline

Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi announced on Sunday that the assembly will meet on Tuesday for the presidential election, as reported by the state news agency INA. The session falls within the one-month constitutional deadline for electing a head of state following the legislature's inaugural session on December 29.

Candidates and the Power-Sharing Tradition

The list of candidates includes 19 individuals, featuring incumbent President Abdul Latif Rashid and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The election adheres to Iraq's established ethno-sectarian power-sharing arrangement, which traditionally reserves the largely ceremonial presidency for a Kurdish politician. The prime minister's post is held by a Shiite Arab, and the speaker of parliament is a Sunni Arab.

Context of the Recent Elections

This presidential vote follows Iraq's sixth parliamentary elections since the 2003 US-led invasion, which were held on November 11. The newly elected members of parliament are constitutionally responsible for electing the president and later granting confidence to the cabinet proposed by the prime minister-designate, shaping the country's executive leadership for the coming term.