Zebari out of Iraqi presidential race via supreme court
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Upon complaints of corruption, parliament members deemed it unconstitutional to include Hoshyar Zebari in the presidential race.
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Former Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari (AP)
On Sunday, an Iraqi veteran politician, Hoshyar Zebari, with ongoing accusations of corruption against him, will not be running for the Iraqi presidency anymore as per the Iraqi supreme court.
Zebari served as foreign minister for 10 years following the 2003 US-led invasion, but he was suspended from the elections on February 6, on the night of the presidential vote, in which he was one of the top candidates.
Members of the Iraqi parliament submitted a complaint against Zebari to the supreme court, arguing that his participation in the election would be "unconstitutional" due to the multiple charges of corruption against him, in addition to a tarnished reputation.
"The federal court decided in its verdict to invalidate the candidacy of Hoshyar Zebari to the post of president of the republic," the Iraqi News Agency announced.
On Tuesday, the parliament announced that registration for candidates for a post reserved conventionally to Iraqi Kurds has also reopened.
In the complaint, Zebari's dismissal from his post as finance minister in 2016 was "over charges linked to financial and administrative corruption" - $1.8 million worth of public funds were used to pay for his airline tickets for his personal security. Two other cases and arguments were cited in the complaint.
Before the corruption charges surfaced again, Zebari, who was one of 25 presidential contenders, had a good chance of winning the legislative vote for president.
"I have not been convicted in any court," Zebari said in a televised interview last week.
A new date is yet to be announced for when the MPs can select a president, and no new candidates were proposed.
Sadrist bloc halts all negotiations on government formation
The Sadrist bloc in Iraq announced Saturday the halting of negotiations with the political blocs regarding the formation of the government.
The bloc also announced its intention to boycott parliamentary session on February 7 to elect a president.
During a press conference, the head of Sadrist bloc, Hussein Al-Azari, told reporters that all talks with the parliamentary factions to form a future government had been suspended by an order of Sadrist bloc leader Moqtada Sadr, adding that its members wouldn’t attend Monday's parliamentary session, with the exception of the first deputy speaker of parliament.
Earlier, Al-Sadr called on members of his bloc at the parliament to avoid voting for Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) candidate for the Iraqi presidency if he does not meet the required conditions.
