New Delhi. Iraq’s parliament on Saturday elected Nizar Amidi, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, as the country’s new president. The election came five months after parliamentary elections in which no party secured a clear majority. Amidi, an engineer born in northern Iraq’s Dohuk province, won the second round of voting with 227 votes.
Amidi defeated rival candidates Fuad Hussein and Muthanna Amin Nader by a landslide. The vote came two months after the constitutional deadline, requiring the newly elected president to invite the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc to form a government and assume the prime ministership within the next 15 days. Iraq is currently grappling with an economic crisis, with the Iran-US war halting oil exports and attacks on infrastructure.
The election of Nizar Amidi comes at a critical time, as Iraq grapples with the devastating consequences of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Iran-backed militias have attacked US bases, leading to retaliatory US and Israeli airstrikes that
have killed Iraqi soldiers. This tension, combined with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has halted Iraq’s oil exports, crippling the country’s economy.
Nizar Amidi, an engineer by profession, is a veteran of politics. He previously served as a key aide to two former Iraqi presidents, Jalal Talabani and Fuad Masum. Amidi established his strong position in the first round by securing 208 votes, after which the simple majority rule in the second round sealed his victory.
Suspense over the Prime Minister’s post:
Traditionally, Iraq holds the position of President with a Kurd, the Prime Minister with a Shia, and the Speaker with a Sunni. All eyes are now on the Prime Minister’s nomination. The pro-Iranian Shia Coordination Framework has put forward Nouri al-Maliki, a candidate Washington opposes. The President must decide whether to allow al-Maliki to form a government or whether a new candidate will emerge.
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