PEREGRAF
The Supreme Federal Court of Iraq on Sunday (February 13) ruled against Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) presidential candidate Hoshyar Zebari, saying that his removal as finance minister by the Council of Representatives in 2016 on corruption allegations disqualified him from holding the post.
Under Article 68 of the Iraqi Constitution of 2005, the president "must be…of good reputation and political experience, known for his integrity, uprightness, fairness, and loyalty to the homeland" and "free of any conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude."
The court also found against Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mohammed al-Halbousi for allowing Zebari’s candidacy to proceed. Halbousi is required to pay 100,000 Iraqi dinars ($68) in court costs.
The case was brought by three lawmakers from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and an MP from the Shia bloc, who argued that Zebari did not have the qualifications to be president under the terms outlined by the constitution because of the corruption allegations that removed him from office.
In a press conference following the ruling, Zebari, who is the uncle of KDP leader Masoud Barzani, said that he would "respect the court's decision," but proclaimed that he had been "wronged."
"The decision is political," Zebari alleged.
"I was surprised by the court's decision. My nomination by President Barzani means the whole world to me. So far, the KDP has no other candidates and we have a lot of options," he added.
"Today is a sad day for Iraq. Ask the streets about my behavior. There are political forces behind the court's decision and we know them. They don't want Iraq to have a strong president," Zebari claimed.