KDP bloc rejects parliament vote on Army Chief, cites lack of consensus

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) parliamentary bloc objected to the mechanism used to vote on the position of Iraqi Army Chief of Staff during the parliamentary session, the bloc’s head, Shakhawan Abdullah, told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Abdullah clarified that lawmakers had agreed beforehand to keep the agenda unchanged, “but the Speaker of Parliament introduced additional items, prompting objections from the Deputy Speaker in accordance with internal regulations.” He called the step a violation of the law and “an unsuccessful beginning,” noting that the KDP would address the matter later.

He also argued that presenting a candidate for a position and voting on it while the government is operating in a caretaker capacity constitutes “a constitutional violation.” Abdullah described the current Chief of Staff’s relationship with the Kurdistan Region as positive, stating that “this position was allocated to the Kurds and cannot be taken and given to another component. If the position of Chief of Staff is taken from the Kurds, dialogue must be pursued, and the issue discussed.”

In its latest session, the Iraqi Parliament confirmed the continuation of Baghdad Mayor Ammar Musa Kazem and Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah in their posts.

MPs from Al-Azm bloc, led by Muthanna Al-Samarrai, condemned “Iraqi Parliament’s presidency proceeding with measures that affect the political balance at the national level,” adding that these steps “do not take into account the principle of genuine partnership in managing state institutions and distributing senior positions.”