The Kurdistan Parliament on Wednesday elected Valla Fareed Ibrahim as its Speaker, alongside Rami Nuri Odish as Deputy Speaker, and Muna Nabi Nader as Secretary of the Presidium. The election took place during the parliament’s first session convened to complete the procedures for forming the presidency and to proceed with steps toward forming the regional government, amid a boycott by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the New Generation Movement.
The three members of the Presidium received 52 votes in a direct ballot in which they secured an absolute majority, with the participation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc and several MPs from other parliamentary blocs.
The session was held after the interim speaker (the eldest member), belonging to the New Generation Movement, refused to preside over it, prompting another deputy to lead the proceedings after fulfilling the required legal quorum of half plus one. Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Greens Party declared its support for the PUK’s position rejecting the session without a prior political agreement, warning that proceeding unilaterally could deepen disagreements and push the region toward a more severe crisis.
In her first press conference following her election, Valla Fareed confirmed that the elected presidium is “permanent and not temporary,” emphasizing that the session was held lawfully and properly, and that activating parliament’s work “serves all political parties and components of the Kurdistan Region, and is not directed against any party.”
Fareed stated that completing the procedures of the first session represents “respect for democracy and the will of the voters,” asserting that “the Kurdistan Region represents a unified constitutional entity.” She further called on boycotting blocs and MPs to return to their parliamentary duties and fulfill their obligations toward the people of Kurdistan and their constituents.
Valla Fareed Ibrahim, born in Erbil in 1976, belongs to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). She previously served as Speaker of Parliament in February 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the region’s history, before stepping down in July of the same year to serve as Regional Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in Masrour Barzani’s cabinet. She later returned to parliament in its sixth term and headed the KDP bloc.
Rami Nuri Odish Daniel, known as Rami Nuri Siyawash, belongs to the Chaldean Christian component. Born in Baghdad in 1985, he was elected in 2024 to the Christian quota seat in Erbil.
Muna Nabi Nader Abdullah, known as Muna Kahveci, belongs to the Turkmen component and was born in Erbil in 1978. She first entered parliament in 2013 and was re-elected in 2018, before assuming the post of Parliament Secretary in February 2019, becoming the first Turkmen figure to hold this position within the parliamentary presidium.
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
