Iraq’s parliament delays presidential vote again amid US pressure

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Agence France-PresseFebruary 1, 2026 at 02:04 PM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Iraq's parliament has delayed its presidential vote for the second time, according to state media reports on Sunday. The delay is attributed to political negotiations and US pressure regarding the selection of the next prime minister. A parliamentary journalist confirmed that the required quorum was not met, leading to the postponement. The parliament speaker will meet with party leaders to establish a final date for the vote. The delay comes as the two main Kurdish parties have yet to agree on a presidential candidate, and the largest Shiite alliance faces potential US repercussions if Nouri al-Maliki is chosen as prime minister. By convention, the prime minister is Shiite, the speaker is Sunni, and the president is Kurdish.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kurd 40% Sunni 40% Shiite Muslim 50% Nouri al-Maliki 60% United States ×270% Parliament of Iraq ×580% Iraq ×390%

Keywords

presidential vote 90% iraqi parliament 90% us pressure 80% political horse-trading 70% prime minister 70% kurdish parties 60% shiite alliance 60% nouri al-maliki 50% quorum 50%