Iraqi Court Bars Zebari from Running for Presidency

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Hoshyar Zebari speaks to Reuters in Baghdad September 11, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Hoshyar Zebari speaks to Reuters in Baghdad September 11, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad
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Iraqi Court Bars Zebari from Running for Presidency

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Hoshyar Zebari speaks to Reuters in Baghdad September 11, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad
Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Hoshyar Zebari speaks to Reuters in Baghdad September 11, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad

Iraq's federal court has ruled that Hoshyar Zebari is not eligible to run for the presidency, the state news agency reported on Sunday.

Zebari, a prominent Kurdish politician who served as Iraq's foreign minister for more than a decade, was finance minister when he was sacked by parliament in 2016 over alleged corruption. He denied the accusations.

The court on Sunday said parliament's decision to accept Zebari's presidential bid was incorrect and it also barred him from running for the post in the future, the agency said, Reuters reported.

The ruling was the court's final decision after it issued an initial ruling last Sunday suspending Zebari's candidacy while it looked into the corruption allegations.

Earlier this month, four parliamentarians filed a petition to the federal court demanding Zebari's exclusion from the presidential race, accusing him of financial and administrative
corruption.

Zebari, who was one of 25 presidential candidates, had high chances of winning the parliamentary vote to be president before the corruption allegations surfaced again.

Iraq's parliament had been due to vote on a new head of state last Monday but cancelled the vote because it lacked the quorum to hold a session after many lawmakers said they would boycott it after the Supreme
Federal Court suspended Zebari's candidacy.



UN's Humanitarian Affairs Agency Ramps Up Preparations to Provide Aid to Gaza

Palestinians walk along a street market in Khan Younis, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Jan. 18, 2025.(AP Photo/(AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians walk along a street market in Khan Younis, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Jan. 18, 2025.(AP Photo/(AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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UN's Humanitarian Affairs Agency Ramps Up Preparations to Provide Aid to Gaza

Palestinians walk along a street market in Khan Younis, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Jan. 18, 2025.(AP Photo/(AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians walk along a street market in Khan Younis, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Jan. 18, 2025.(AP Photo/(AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

The UN’s humanitarian affairs agency says it has ratcheted up its preparations for providing aid to Gaza after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect.

Muhannad Hadi, the agency’s humanitarian coordinator for the territory, said Saturday the United Nations and its partners are ready to leverage the opportunity for large-scale relief, The Associated Press reported.

Hadi referenced in a statement the agreements reached on implementing humanitarian components in the first phase of the ceasefire, including the provision of supplies “including water, food, health and shelter to people across Gaza and the long-awaited release of hostages.”

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday, mediator Qatar said. It will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.