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Iraq Parliament Postpones Presidential Vote Amid US Pressure

Iraq’s parliament has again delayed the election of the country’s new president, state media reported on Sunday, amid intense political horse-trading and US pressure over the new prime minister. This marks the second time the presidential vote has been postponed.

The required quorum was not reached: A journalist inside the parliament stated that the required quorum was not met, leading to the delay in the vote. The official INA press agency noted that no new date has been set yet and that the parliament speaker will meet with party blocs to finalize a date.Political Conventions: By convention, a Shiite Muslim holds the powerful position of prime minister, while the parliament speaker is a Sunni, and the presidency goes to a Kurd. The two main Kurdish parties have yet to agree on a presidential candidate, and the largest Shiite alliance faces US threats to withdraw support if their preferred candidate, Nouri al-Maliki, takes the role.Implications: This situation highlights the complex political dynamics in Iraq as it navigates both internal disagreements and external pressures from the US.