CAIRO, January 31. /TASS/. The Iraqi presidential election will be held on Sunday, February 1, according to the Council of Representatives (parliament) of the country.
"The swearing-in of a number of parliamentarians and the election of the country's president are on the agenda of the meeting to be held on February 1," the parliament said in a press release published by the INA news agency.
The presidential election was initially scheduled for January 27, but the parliament session was postponed due to lack of quorum.
On December 29, the parliament elected a chairman. From that moment, the countdown began for 30 days, during which, under the country's constitution, deputies are required to elect a president. The president then must instruct the largest coalition to propose a candidate for the prime minister. On January 24, the Coordinating Council, which unites representatives of the majority of Shiite blocs and parties in Iraq, officially announced the nomination of Nouri al-Maliki as a candidate for the head of the government.
According to the Iraqi Constitution, a Kurd should hold the post of president, a Shiite should hold the post of prime minister, and a Sunni should chair parliament. Currently, 18 candidates are competing for the post of president, including current Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, supported by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.