BAGHDAD, Feb 1 (KUNA) -- Iraq's parliament on Sunday failed to elect a new president over a lack of quorum for the second time in less than a week, delaying the move to a later session without citing a new date.
Iraq's Parliament Speaker Haibat Al-Halbousi had met with the heads of parliamentary blocs in a bid to "finalize the election of the Pesident of the Republic and to confirm a definitive date for the election," according to state-run Iraq News Agency.
Iraq's constitution stipulates that no less than 220 lawmakers should be present during the process to elect a new president, a minimum requirement that previous sessions of parliament had failed to meet.
In line with Iraqi political conventions, the presidency is traditionally allocated to the Kurdish component, while the positions of parliamentary speaker and prime minister are reserved for the Sunni and Shia components, respectively. Some 19 candidates are vying for the presidency, with the two Kurdish parties, the KDP and PUK, being the main competitors for the post. (end) ahh.nam