In April 2026, the Parliament of Iraq elected former Environment Minister Nizar Mohammed Saeed Amedi, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), as the country’s 9th President during a decisive voting session held in Baghdad, Iraq.

• He succeeds Abdul Latif Rashid and becomes the 6th Iraqi Head of State since 2003.

Background:

Strong Lead: In the first round, Nizar Amedi secured 208 votes, while Muthanna Amin got 17 votes and Fuad Hussein received 16 votes.

• The election proceeded to a second round between Amedi and Amin after no candidate achieved the required two-thirds majority in the first round.

Victory: Nizar Amedi secured 227 votes in the second-round runoff, defeating Muthanna Amin Nader, who received 15 votes, and subsequently took the constitutional oath as President.

Quorum Achieved: Around 250 lawmakers attended the session out of 329 members, crossing the required quorum of 220 for the election.