Iraq to delay selection of a new president, prolonging political stand-off

Iraq’s Supreme Court on Sunday suspended a former foreign minister’s presidential bid over corruption allegations and many politicians said they would boycott a Monday vote for a new head of state, prolonging a political stand-off.

The court said the candidacy of Hoshyar Zebari, a Western-friendly veteran Iraqi Kurdish statesman, could not proceed until corruption charges from a separate 2016 stint as finance minister were dealt with.

The decision was a blow to populist Shi’ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who was the biggest winner in an October election and has vowed to quickly push through a government that could exclude Iranian allies.

Sadr, the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) of which Zebari is a member and an alliance of Sunni Muslim lawmakers had supported Zebari’s bid for president.

The corruption allegations resurfaced after Zebari emerged as a strong contender, and Sadr eventually appeared to withdraw his support, saying in a statement that any future president must “meet the conditions” to hold office.

Sadr had campaigned in the election on an anti-corruption platform.

Sadr’s Sadrist Bloc said on Saturday it would boycott Monday’s parliament session.

A political alliance aligned with Iran said in a statement on Sunday it was against the holding of the Monday parliamentary session to pick a president.