Iraqi Parliament Elects Kurdish Politician Nizar Amedi as President

Iraq's parliament has elected Kurdish politician Nizar Amedi as the country's new president, ending a five-month political deadlock following the November 2025 elections.

Amedi secured 227 votes in a second round of voting, defeating independent candidate Muthanna Amin Nader, who received 15 votes.

The election marks the conclusion of a prolonged period without a functioning government, which had paralyzed political processes in Iraq.

Amedi was nominated by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and becomes the sixth Iraqi head of state since the 2003 US-led invasion that removed Saddam Hussein.

Following his election, Amedi pledged to prioritize national unity under the principle of "Iraq First" and committed to working alongside all three branches of government.

He also condemned recent attacks on Iraq amid the US-Israel war on Iran, which had significant repercussions within Iraqi territory.

This development is significant as it restores a key element of Iraq's sectarian power-sharing system, which designates the presidency to a Kurdish politician.

The system also requires the prime minister to be a Shia Muslim and the parliamentary speaker a Sunni Muslim.

The election comes as Iraq continues to absorb the effects of the weeks-long US-Israel conflict with Iran, which ended with a ceasefire earlier this week.

During the conflict, Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq launched attacks on US bases and diplomatic facilities, while US and Israeli strikes targeted these groups, resulting in casualties among Iraqi military personnel.

Attention now shifts to the appointment of the prime minister, a role considered more politically sensitive and consequential.

The Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iran-aligned Shia parties holding a parliamentary majority, has nominated former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the position.

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