Iraq Concludes Parliament Leadership, Enabling Presidential Vote

(MENAFN) Iraq's legislative body finalized its top-tier leadership structure Tuesday by selecting Farhad Atrushi from the Kurdistan Democratic Party as second deputy speaker—a decisive move that unlocks the constitutional pathway toward choosing the nation's next president.

The appointment comes one day after lawmakers installed Haibet al-Halbousi as parliament speaker and Adnan Fihan as first deputy speaker Monday. Completing this parliamentary hierarchy represents a critical constitutional threshold that activates the formal process for selecting Iraq's executive leadership.

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid praised the swift action in an official statement: "The Council of Representatives has today completed the first constitutional step within the prescribed timeframe, reflecting a strong sense of national responsibility demonstrated by the leaders of the political blocs and the honorable members of parliament in carrying out the duties entrusted to them."

Parliamentary leadership has now initiated the presidential selection process, al-Halbousi confirmed through a statement issued by the Iraqi parliament Tuesday, formally accepting candidacy submissions for the post.

Iraq's constitutional framework mandates a 30-day window for parliament to select a president. Once chosen, the president receives 15 days to designate the largest parliamentary coalition's candidate for prime minister, who then faces a 30-day deadline to assemble a cabinet requiring parliamentary approval through a confidence vote.

The appointments adhere to Iraq's entrenched ethno-sectarian governance formula—implemented following the 2003 American-led military intervention—which allocates the presidential position to Kurdish representatives, reserves the speaker's role for Sunni Muslims, and designates the premiership for Shiite Muslims.

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