Iraqi President Barham Salih Seeks 2nd Term in Office

Iraqi President Barham Salih said on Tuesday that he will seek re-election to a second four-year term in office, and urged his colleagues to vote for him in parliament next week.

Salih is one of 25 candidates chosen by parliament to run for the primarily ceremonial position. The legislature will meet on February 7 to elect the republic's next president, a crucial step toward the establishment of a new government following the general election in October.

Salih said in a televised speech that the president of the republic "must be a symbol for the country's unity and sovereignty, a defender of its constitution, and a president for all Iraqis."

"I'm looking forward to embracing the duty once more," he said, citing his accomplishments since taking office in 2018 in leading projects to create laws and addressing Iraq's difficulties.

His nomination has sparked conflict between the two main Kurdish parties in the country. Salih was nominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, but his nomination was rejected by the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Instead, the KDP nominated Hoshyar Zebari, a former foreign and finance minister.

The Kurds have a long-standing agreement that a PUK nominee is installed as president, while the KDP is given control of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.

But the KDP is seeking more control after securing 31 seats in the 329-seat parliament in October's election, while the Kurdistan Alliance — led by the PUK — won only 17.