Peregraf - Iraqi President Dr. Latif Rashid on Tuesday issued a presidential decree inviting members of the newly elected Council of Representatives to convene their first session on December 29, 2025, in line with constitutional requirements.
The announcement follows the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court’s ratification of the final results of the 2025 parliamentary elections on December 14, officially triggering the constitutional timelines for forming Iraq’s next government.
In a separate statement, the Supreme Judicial Council previously outlined the key deadlines governing the election of parliamentary leaders and the formation of the executive authority. Under the constitution, parliament must elect the Speaker of the Council of Representatives and two deputies within 15 days of the ratification of election results. The Speaker and deputies are elected by an absolute majority vote (50 percent plus one) during the first session, which is chaired by the oldest member of parliament and includes lawmakers taking the constitutional oath.
The position of Speaker is traditionally allocated to the Sunni component. Sunni political forces are currently holding consultations within a political council to agree on a consensus candidate.
Within 30 days of electing the Speaker and deputies, parliament is required to elect the President of the Republic by a two-thirds majority, equivalent to 220 votes in the 329-member legislature. Once elected, the President must task a prime ministerial nominee with forming the government within 15 days.
The designated prime minister then has up to 90 days to form a cabinet and present it to parliament for a vote of confidence.
According to the final election results, the Construction and Development Coalition led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani won the largest number of seats with 46. The State of Law Coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, came second with 29 seats, followed by Taqaddum with 27 seats, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with 27 seats, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 18 seats. Voter turnout nationwide reached 56.11 percent.
Prior to the court’s ratification, the Shiite Coordination Framework announced that it had formed the largest parliamentary bloc. In a meeting attended by senior leaders of the bloc, including Prime Minister al-Sudani, participants confirmed their intention to move forward with nominating the next prime minister, stressing national cooperation and strict adherence to constitutional timelines to ensure a smooth transition of power.