Iraqi court halts Hoshyar Zebari’s bid for president

Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court on Sunday temporarily suspended Kurdish politician Hoshyar Zebari’s bid for presidency.

The court said it received complaints from four lawmakers about the candidacy of Zebari, a candidate of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, for presidency.

It said his candidacy was temporarily halted until the court considers the case.

The court, however, did not give a date for making a ruling in the case.

Opponents of Zebari, a former foreign minister, cite corruption charges against the Kurdish politician for opposing his candidacy.

The court decision came on the eve of a parliamentary session on Monday to elect a new president from among 25 candidates.

The current president, Barham Salih, of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, and Zebari are the two frontrunners for the post.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar

Source: Anadolu Agency