ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated four presidential candidates that were previously disqualified, after reviewing 28 appeals filed by individuals excluded from the candidates list.

The apex court ordered the Iraqi parliament to “include their names in the list of candidates for the position of President of the Republic who meet the candidacy requirements.”

The four candidates included Khalid Sadiq Aziz Muhammad, Azad Majid Hassan, Rafea Abdullah Hamid Mousa, and Salem Hawas Ali.

While initially 81 individuals applied for the position, only 15 names were selected by the parliament in mid-January as having met the eligibility requirements. The names included the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) candidates, as well as incumbent Abdul Latif Rashid.

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.

Out of 28 sumbitted objections, the court announced Wednesday that it upheld the exclusion of 24 objectors, while overturning four previous decisions.

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.

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, with a clean criminal record.