Baghdad — After weeks of political wrangling, Iraq’s parliament has chosen Nizar Amedi as the country’s new president, ending a tense delay in forming the next government, according to Hurriyet Daily News. The vote, held on April 11, came after months of uncertainty that exposed once again the deep divisions shaping Iraq’s politics.
Amedi, 58, a veteran member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and a former environment minister, now takes over from outgoing president Abdul Latif Rashid. Lawmakers declared his victory live on state television as he took the oath of office in Baghdad.
Under Iraq’s power‑sharing system, the presidency traditionally goes to a Kurd, while the prime minister must be a Shiite Muslim and the parliament speaker a Sunni. With his election settled, Amedi has 15 days to name a prime minister and all signs point to Nouri al‑Maliki, the controversial former leader and current favorite of the Shiite coalition known as the Coordination Framework.
Maliki’s possible comeback has already stirred both domestic and international unease. The United States, still influential in Iraqi politics more than two decades after its 2003 invasion, has warned against his return. In January, President Donald Trump reportedly told Iraqi leaders that if Maliki were appointed, Washington would reconsider its support to Baghdad.
The warning left Iraq’s factions divided, especially within the Coordination Framework, whose members have varying ties to Iran, America’s regional rival and Iraq’s other powerful ally. Yet Maliki remains defiant. Speaking to AFP earlier this year, he said he had no intention of stepping aside but sought to reassure Washington that he could maintain stability.
For now, Amedi faces the delicate task of bridging these opposing pressures between pro Iranian blocs eager to consolidate power and U.S. concerns about Baghdad’s future course as he begins the challenging process of building Iraq’s next government.
