60 people apply to run for Iraq president

An Iraqi security guard walks outside the parliament building in Baghdad as a scheduled vote for the republic’s president was indefinitely postponed after most major political blocs boycotted the parliamentary session on 7 February 2022. [SABAH ARAR/AFP via Getty Images]

A total of 60 people have submitted applications to run for Iraq’s presidency, the country’s parliament said on Monday.

Parliamentary secretary Baydaa Khidir said the deadline for new applications was extended following parliament’s failure to elect a president on 7 February.

The legal committee of parliament will scrutinise the applications before forwarding them to the Board of Integrity and, then, to the Supreme Judicial Council, Khidir explained.

Parliament has not yet scheduled another session for electing the president, she said.

Last week, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court temporarily suspended Kurdish politician Hoshyar Zebari’s bid for presidency after lawmakers filed complaints over graft accusations against him.

In response, a majority of political parties boycotted the parliament session scheduled on 7 February to elect a new president.

The Supreme Federal Court later ruled that Zebari is not eligible to run for the presidency amid corruption allegations.

The new president’s biggest task is to assign the candidate from the largest bloc in parliament to form a government.

READ: Kurdistan Democratic Party nominates Reber Ahmed for Iraq presidency

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