Court Decides to Extend Iraqi President Barham Salih's Mandate until Elections

On Sunday, the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court decided to maintain incumbent Barham Salih in his position as president until the election of a new president.

The Court said in a statement that Salih shall continue carrying out the duties of the President of the Republic, in spite of the end of his mandate, until the Parliament elects a new President.

On February 8, Salih posted correspondence to the Supreme Federal Court on the power void created by the parliament's failure to elect a president of the republic on Monday's session.

Iraq’s top court banned a veteran Kurdish politician from the country’s presidency on Sunday, citing lingering corruption allegations.

Hoshyar Zebari, a former foreign minister and longtime Iraqi diplomat, had been a front-runner, competing against the sitting president, Barham Salih. In Iraq’s political system, parliament votes to pick the president, who in turn appoints the prime minister.

Zebari’s bid was supported by powerful Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose bloc emerged as the winner in the Oct. 10 parliamentary elections. Sunday’s ruling is likely to prolong a standoff between factions over who should be the country’s next president and prime minister.

The Federal Supreme Court last week temporarily suspended Zebari’s nomination after four lawmakers filed a petition. That decision delayed the parliament’s vote to choose a new president, which was scheduled for February 7, because many members boycotted the session in support of Zebari.