The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Masoud Barzani, has rejected the election of Nizar Amidi as Iraq’s president, worsening political tensions in the Kurdistan Region and across the country.
The party has instructed its representatives in the federal government and parliament to return to the region for consultations.
Kurdish sources close to the KDP allege that armed factions represented in parliament helped secure quorum for the vote. Electing a president requires a two-thirds majority, meaning at least 220 of 329 lawmakers must be present.
On Saturday, parliament elected Amidi, the candidate of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), after more than four months of deadlock driven by disputes between the two main Kurdish parties over the post, as well as broader disagreements over forming a new Kurdistan Regional Government.
The session was boycotted by the KDP and the State of Law Coalition, headed by former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, underscoring widening divisions among Kurdish and Shiite factions within the Coordination Framework.
In a statement issued after the vote, the KDP said it would not recognize Amidi’s presidency and accused parliament of violating its own rules.
“The election process was conducted in a manner inconsistent with the council’s internal regulations,” the party said, arguing that the session agenda was set without proper adherence to procedure.
The KDP also objected to the selection of the candidate itself, saying the presidency is a national Kurdish entitlement rather than the prerogative of a single party. It accused the PUK of unilaterally nominating Amidi and securing backing from other Iraqi factions.
“We do not consider a person chosen in this way to represent the Kurdish majority,” the statement said.
The party added that its lawmakers and officials would return to the Kurdistan Region to “assess the situation and hold consultations,” without clarifying next steps or whether the move could further delay the formation of a regional government.
Days earlier, Barzani had warned against proceeding with the presidential vote before Shiite factions agreed on a candidate for prime minister. Writing on X, he said moving ahead on one constitutional post while leaving another unresolved was “unacceptable,” and called for a synchronized process ensuring participation by all parties.
Independent Kurdish journalist Saman Noah described the KDP’s response as unprecedented and likely to deepen an already severe political crisis in the Kurdistan Region.
“The current trajectory is unprecedented and will further complicate conditions in a region facing major structural challenges,” Noah wrote on Facebook, citing the failure to form a government for more than 18 months, a parliament effectively suspended for years, and worsening economic conditions.
He said recurring disputes over the presidency — often marked by party interests overriding broader Kurdish priorities — have significantly weakened Kurdish political leverage in Baghdad.
Questions have also emerged over whether the parliamentary session met quorum requirements.
Writer and researcher Kifah Mahmoud said the vote may have violated legal standards, citing lawmakers including Ikhlas al-Dulaimi who claimed fewer than 180 members were present.
“If accurate, that would fall well short of the required 220,” Mahmoud said, describing the session as a “serious breach” that risks further undermining trust in Iraq’s political process.
