Iraq faces deadlock as key blocs refuse to attend presidential vote

Iraq’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc and the State of Law Coalition have announced they will boycott a parliamentary session scheduled for April 11 to elect the country’s president, citing a lack of political consensus.

In a statement, the KDP bloc in the Council of Representatives said it would withdraw from the session, arguing that efforts to proceed with the presidential vote “without consensus among political blocs” undermine the principle of partnership on which Iraq’s political system is based, Caliber.Az reports via Iraqi media.

The bloc warned that moving forward without agreement represented “a clear disregard for national partnership” and a “serious setback” to the understandings underpinning Iraq’s post-2003 political framework.

It stressed that the presidency and the nomination of the prime minister are “national matters that cannot be separated” and should be treated as a single package within a comprehensive political agreement, rather than through unilateral moves or exclusion of key partners.

“Accordingly, and out of concern for the sustainability of the political process, we have decided not to participate in tomorrow’s session,” the statement said, adding that any step taken without national consensus would only further complicate the political landscape.

Separately, the State of Law Coalition also confirmed it would not attend the session and expressed support for postponing the vote.

The coalition’s media office director, Hisham al-Rikabi, said in a statement that “due to fundamental differences among political forces and components of the political process,” the bloc supported delaying the session to allow for more favourable conditions for “responsible outcomes that serve the national interest.”

Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi had earlier urged political leaders, parliamentary blocs and MPs to attend the session, calling for the completion of constitutional obligations and prioritising the national interest amid ongoing security and economic challenges.

He also said the names of absent MPs and political blocs preventing attendance would be published for public transparency.

The Iraqi parliament had scheduled a single-item agenda for Saturday’s (April 11) session: the election of the President of the Republic, with proceedings due to begin at 11:00 a.m. local time.

The vote comes as Iraq’s Coordination Framework — a coalition of Shia political forces — seeks to resolve the presidential selection process amid ongoing disputes, including with Kurdish factions traditionally associated with the post.

Political negotiations remain stalled months after the 2025 parliamentary elections, with efforts to form a new government yet to reach completion.

By Aghakazim Guliyev