The Iraqi parliament has scheduled a session to elect the President of the Republic next Tuesday, despite two months having passed since the parliamentary elections. The constitution requires a high quorum for the session to be held, giving major blocs the ability to disrupt it through boycotts.
The presidency is usually reserved for the Kurdish component, with an internal rivalry between the two main Kurdish parties.
According to the Iraqi constitution, a quorum of two-thirds of parliament members is required for the presidential election session. The president must be elected by a two-thirds majority in the first round and by a simple majority in the second round if necessary.
This high quorum requirement allows large blocs to block sessions by boycotting and preventing quorum from being reached. By convention, the position belongs to the Kurdish component, and the election often witnesses internal competition between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.