Mirani said that the KDP leader, Masoud Barzani, will nominate a candidate, setting up stiff competition between the KDP and PUK in Baghdad.

“Our candidate will apparently compete against Barham Salih after [they are] appointed by Masoud Barzani,” said Mirani in a statement to the KDP affiliated media.

Earlier on Wednesday, a KDP spokesman Mahmoud Mohammed said that his party will field its own candidate for the Iraqi presidency, in response to the PUK picking Barham Salih.

Mohammed said in a written statement that the “unilateral” appointment of Barham Salih by the PUK went against a mutual understanding that had developed between the two parties.

In a series of meetings, the PUK and the KDP had come to an agreement that they should pick a candidate who was considered appropriate by both for the Iraqi presidency, said Mohammed. The agreement emphasized unity and having one agenda in Baghdad.

“Our PUK brothers were expected to schedule a meeting of the political bureaus, but they didn’t until we heard from media that they nominated Dr. Barham Salih unilaterally after his return to PUK,” he added.

According to NRT Mohammed said KDP has the right to determine the next Iraqi president “which has been held by the PUK so often.”

“We consider the post of Iraqi President as a share of the people of Kurdistan which should not be determined by a single party, which is why the KDP will have its candidate.”

In a double decision, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) approved the return of Barham Salih to the party and nominated him as their candidate for President of Iraq, the party’s spokesman said on September 19.

Reporter’s code: 50101