ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Friday denied allegations that it offered the Kurdistan Regional Government’s interior minister post to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in a bid to secure backing for its candidate for the next Iraqi presidency, a party official said.

The comments came after reports earlier on Friday said that the KDP was ready to give the Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry to the PUK in exchange for the PUK withdrawing its bid for the presidency and backing the KDP’s candidate.

“Proposing the Ministry of Interior position to the PUK in exchange for the Iraqi presidency is far from the truth. There has been no discussion or proposal of that kind whatsoever, and we completely reject the allegations,” a high-level KDP official told The New Region on Friday under condition of anonymity. 

The Iraqi parliament postponed a Tuesday session to vote on the country’s next president, after the Kurdistan Region’s ruling parties requested more time to reach an understanding.

The decision came after the parliament’s media office reported that Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi had received requests from the KDP and the PUK to postpone the session in order to “allow more time for understanding and agreement between the two parties.”

The parliament has not formally announced a new date for the session as of the writing of this article.

The position, traditionally reserved for Kurds, is constitutionally required to be settled by the parliament within 30 days of the new legislature's first session, in this case January 28.

The KDP has nominated current Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, while the PUK has fielded former environment minister and head of its Baghdad office Nizar Amedi. The incumbent President Abdul Latif Rashid, a senior PUK member, is running independently. Lawmaker Muthanna Amin, meanwhile, is representing Kurdish opposition parties in the race.

Once the vote is completed, the elected president must select a prime minister-designate to form the government and present it to parliament within 30 days.

Iraq's ruling Shiite bloc, the Coordination Framework, announced that it had agreed on State of Law's Nouri al-Maliki to reassume the premiership for a third term earlier in the week, calling on the parliament to quickly hold its session to settle the presidency.

However, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday asserted that Washington will no longer assist Iraq if Maliki becomes the next prime minister, criticizing his "insane policies and ideologies." Trump's pronouncement could potentially throw a spanner in the works for the former premier's bid to return to power and delay the formation of government.

Iraq has often failed to honor the constitutional timeframes, as disagreements between rivaling blocs hinder the process, resulting in long delays and, at times, unrest in the country.