ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iraqi parliament on Wednesday announced the names of 15 applicants who had passed an eligibility test, including the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) candidates, as well as incumbent Abdul Latif Rashid, for the post of the country’s president from a pool of at least 81 applicants. 

The position, traditionally reserved for Kurds, is constitutionally required to be settled by the parliament by no later than January 28, 30 days after the new legislature's first session.

The KDP has nominated incumbent Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and former Erbil Governor Nawzad Hadi, while the PUK has fielded former environment minister and head of its Baghdad office Nizar Amedi. Lawmaker Muthanna Amin, meanwhile, is representing Kurdish opposition parties in the race. 

"Those whose names do not appear among the candidates who meet the legal requirements and who submitted their candidacy for the presidency have the right to appeal ... within a period not exceeding three days from the date of this announcement," the parliament clarified in a statement.

The PUK, which has held the position since 2005, announced Amedi as the party's "only official candidate" earlier in January, while the Kurdistan Region's largest party, the KDP, is vying for the post with two candidates. It is unclear whether the other PUK-affiliated candidates are running independently or will withdraw their candidacy to pave the way for Amedi's selection.

Incumbent President Rashid, also from the PUK, is seeking another term.

Saliently missing from the list, however, is prominent Kurdish politician Hikmat Muhammad Karim, more widely known as Mala Bakhtiyar, who also submitted his application to run as an independent candidate for the post.

Mala Bakhtyar told The New Region following his application early in January that “I will not become a problem or a hassle between the KDP and PUK, if they reach a joint candidate." 

Per constitutional guidelines, the elected president must then select a prime minister-designate to form the government and present it to parliament within 30 days.

The Iraqi Constitution stipulates that the president must be "an Iraqi by birth, born to Iraqi parents," be over 40 years of age, "of good reputation and political experience," and be free from criminal convictions "involving moral turpitude."

According to the constitution, the president "is the Head of the State and a symbol of the unity of the country and represents the sovereignty of the country. He shall guarantee the commitment to the Constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, and the safety of its territories.”