2026-04-10T13:19:50+00:00
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Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi political blocs intensified
efforts on Friday to secure full attendance at tomorrow’s parliamentary session
to elect a president, urging an end to delays that have prolonged the country’s
political deadlock.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
called for holding the session as scheduled, stressing that the presidential
file has taken “sufficient time” and should no longer be delayed. In a
statement, the bloc said the lack of consensus should not justify suspending
constitutional obligations, describing their completion as essential to
activating state institutions and ensuring political and economic stability,
while cautioning that continued delay disrupts government functions and leads
to mounting economic and service challenges.
The Iraqi Turkmen Front confirmed
its participation, with its parliamentary leader Arshad al-Salihi rejecting the
ongoing stalemate and expressing hope for consensus, particularly between
Kurdish and Shiite forces. He described the current phase as “sensitive and dangerous,”
urging the formation of a government that represents all components and moves
beyond traditional quota-based arrangements.
ككتلة جبهة تركمان العراق الموحد سنشارك في جلسة يوم السبت لانتخاب رئاسة الجمهورية ، وعدم السماح ببقاء الانسداد السياسي مستمرا ، ونأمل من حصول التوافق الكردي الكردي والشيعي الشيعي ، فالبلد والشعب في اخطر مراحله التاريخيه ، وعلى الحكومة العراقية القادمة ، ان تشكل نظاما سياسيا جديدا…
— Erşat Salihi – أرشد الصالحي (@Ersatsalihi) April 10, 2026
The Reconstruction and Development
(Al-Ima’ar wal Tanmiya) Coalition, led by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed
Shia al-Sudani, confirmed it will attend the session, stressing that electing a
president is a constitutional entitlement that “cannot tolerate further delay,”
and calling on political forces to uphold their national responsibilities, “in
fulfillment of commitments to the people and to safeguard the democratic
process from any constitutional vacuum.”
Meanwhile, the Sadiqoun bloc —the
political wing of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq— emphasized its readiness to “translate
constitutional obligations into action” under the parliament dome and push
forward with the vote without further delay.
Read more: Government Formation: Constitution that cannot
enforce its own deadlines
The National State Forces Alliance
led by Ammar al-Hakim and the Taqaddum Party headed by Mohammed al-Halbousi had
previously committed to full attendance, while Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
leader Masoud Barzani rejected attempts to proceed with the vote without
agreement on a prime minister, describing such efforts as “unacceptable” and
insisting that both positions must be resolved in parallel.
Parliament is scheduled to convene
on April 11 to elect a president, a prerequisite for naming a prime minister
under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, which allocates the presidency to
a Kurd, the premiership to a Shiite, and the speakership to a Sunni Arab. The
process has stalled due to disputes between the KDP and the PUK over a joint
candidate, alongside divisions within the Coordination Framework (CF) —the
largest parliamentary bloc with more than 185 seats— which nominated former
prime minister Nouri al-Maliki but remains split over his candidacy amid US
opposition.
Read more: Iraq PM race stuck between largest bloc dispute and
US pressure
Iraq has exceeded the constitutional
30-day deadline to elect a president by more than two months, with 148 days
passed since the November 2025 elections and no government formed.
