Iraq presidential vote in doubt after boycotts, candidate suspension
- 07 Feb 2022
Gulf Today Report
A scheduled vote by Iraq's parliament to elect a new national president was thrown into doubt on Monday after key factions announced boycotts and a frontrunner was suspended by a court.
Supreme Court on Sunday suspended a former foreign minister's presidential bid over graft allegations and many lawmakers said they would boycott a vote for a new head of state, prolonging a political standoff.
The court said the candidacy of Hoshyar Zebari, a Western-friendly veteran Iraqi Kurdish statesman, could not proceed until corruption charges from a separate 2016 stint as finance minister were dealt with.
READ MORE
Anti-drug judge shot dead in southern Iraq
Russia links US nuclear arms talks to security demands
A cancellation would be the latest chapter of political turmoil in the war-scarred country which, almost four months after a general election, still hasn't chosen a new prime minister.
The suspension of Zebari's presidential bid, one day before parliament was due to elect a new president.
Last week four parliamentarians filed a petition to the federal court demanding Zebari's exclusion from the presidential race, accusing him of financial and administrative corruption in 2016.
