Incumbent Prez remains in office until Parliament elects new one: Iraqi SC

Baghdad : The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court has decided that incumbent President Barham Salih will remain in office until a new president is elected.

The lack of quorum in the Parliament session led to the failure to elect a new Iraqi President within the constitutional period of 30 days, which requires Salih “to continue his duties until the election of a new president to replace him”, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a court statement.

The Iraqi Parliament had set February 7 as a date for its second session to elect a new president from among 25 candidates, but the session was not held because of a lack of quorum amid the political disputes among parliamentary blocs.

On February 8, the Parliament reopened the nomination for the post of president for three days, noting the constitutional period of 30 days from the first session for electing a new president had expired.

On January 9, the Iraqi Parliament held its first session, in which the lawmakers elected the speaker and his two deputies. According to the Iraqi constitution, a new Iraqi president should be elected from candidates by a two-thirds majority of the Parliament.

Once elected, the new president will ask the largest parliamentary alliance to name a prime minister-designate to form a government within 30 days.

On October 10, 2021, Iraq held the fifth parliamentary election, where Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s Sadrist Movement emerged as the biggest winner with 73 out of the 329 seats.