Politics

KDP official says respects Iraqi top court's suspension of presidential candidacy

"We respect the decision of the Federal Court to temporarily suspend our candidacy pending the resolution of the lawsuit filed by some clinging to the days before the reform."

Mustafa Shilani 2022/02/06 21:04

Kurdistan Democratic Party candidate Hoshyar Zebari. (Photo: Al-Iraqiya TV)

Iraq Iraq Parliament Presidency

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi presidential candidate Hoshyar Zebari, a senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) member, said on Sunday he respects the Federal Supreme Court's decision to suspend his nomination until a lawsuit against him is resolved.

The top court's decision comes just one day before lawmakers were expected to hold a session to vote on presidential candidates. The lawsuit, which Zebari said is from politicians trying to "cling to power," includes allegations regarding the KDP official's suitability to become head of state.

The leading Sadrist Movement parliamentary bloc has said it is not attending the Monday session. Zebari has previously stated that he is backed, along with the KDP, by the Muqtada al-Sadr-led alliance as well as the largest Sunni coalition in the legislature.

Zebari served as Iraq's foreign minister for close to nine years and then took over the finance ministry for about two years in 2014 before parliament dismissed him in a no-confidence vote based on corruption allegations the veteran politician has described as fabricated. The charges were later dropped.

"We respect the decision of the Federal Court to temporarily suspend our candidacy pending the resolution of the lawsuit filed by some clinging to the days before the reform," he said.

Zebari was referring to four lawmakers who support his rival and incumbent president, Barham Salih. Salih is a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the second-largest Kurdish party in parliament, behind the KDP.

"We trust that the judiciary will confirm what state institutions have confirmed in advance that we have fulfilled the conditions for candidacy, and that what is rumored is nothing more than a moaning for more clinging to power."

Analysts say that suspending Zebari's nomination may delay the election of a president, who is constitutionally mandated to task the national assembly's largest bloc to name a prime minister and form a new government.

Despite the challenge to his candidacy, Zebari, one of 25 contenders, remains the likeliest candidate to take the presidency.