Federal Court delays ruling on Iraq presidency dispute

2026-03-17 - 09:03

Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court has postponed its ruling on a constitutional challenge over parliament’s failure to elect a president, after lawmakers missed the constitutionally mandated deadline. In a statement on Tuesday, the Iraqi Communist Party said the case —filed with the Social Democratic Party— argues that the delay constitutes a constitutional violation, and confirmed postponing a planned press conference until further notice. The court set April 14, 2026, as the new date for issuing its decision. Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing arrangement, the presidency is traditionally held by a Kurd, the prime ministership by a Shiite Muslim, and the speakership by a Sunni Arab. The constitution requires parliament to elect a president within 30 days of its first session —a deadline that expired on January 28. Previous attempts to elect a president have failed due to disagreements between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the two main Kurdish parties, which have not agreed on a joint candidate, repeatedly preventing the quorum required for a vote. Read more: Iraq slips into constitutional vacuum as presidential deadlock drags on