Vice President of Iraq

Vice President of Iraq
Official emblem
Incumbent Nouri al-Maliki Osama al-Nujaifi Ayad Alawi since 10 October 2016
Style	His Excellency
Appointer	Parliamentary vote
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Formation	14 July 1958 10 October 2016 (restored)

Iraq
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Iraq
Constitution
Government Federal government President (list) Barham Salih Prime Minister (list) Haider al-Abadi Cabinet Current cabinet
Legislature Council of Representatives Speaker: Mohamed al-Halbousi
Judiciary Supreme Court
Administrative divisions Governorates (provinces) Districts Iraqi Kurdistan Kurdistan Regional Government Kurdistan Parliament
Elections Political parties Electoral Commission Recent elections Parliamentary: 2010 2014 2018 Gubernatorial: 2005 2009 2013 2005 constitutional referendum
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions of Iraq to Iraq Passport Visa requirements Foreign aid to Iraq
Other countries Atlas

Iraq has three vice presidents or deputy presidents, although a debate is ongoing about a political reform to abolish their posts.

The office of Vice-President was historically largely ceremonial but prestigious. In post-war Iraq, the Constitution of Iraq, in its "Transitional Guidelines," creates a three-member Presidency (or Presidential) Council, consisting of the President of the Republic and two deputy presidents, who must act in unison. The Presidency Council had three members to accommodate Iraq's three largest groups: Sunni Muslim Arabs, Shiite Muslim Arabs, and the mostly Sunni Kurds. As a unit, the Presidency Council was meant to symbolize the unity of the nation. This arrangement is required by the constitution to continue until the Council of Representatives, enters its second set of sessions. At this point, the Presidency Council would be replaced by a solitary President of the Republic, who would have only one deputy, the Vice-President. In any case, the Presidency is appointed by the Council of Representatives.

The three-member arrangement was a hold-over from the Iraqi interim government and the Iraqi Transitional Government.

On 13 May 2011, three vice-presidents were elected.^[1] On July 11, 2011, Adil Abdul-Mahdi resigned after he had presented his resignation to President Jalal Talabani on May 30, 2011. ^{[2] [3]}

On September 2014, three new Vice Presidents were elected: former Prime Ministers Nouri al-Maliki and Ayad Allawi and former Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi.

On August 11, 2015 the Council of Representatives approved the al Abadi government plan to abolish the posts of both Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister. ^[4] Later, Osama al-Nujaifi filed a complaint against the decision, considering it to be against the Constitution.^[5] Also Nuri al-Maliki promised to cling to his post.^[6] On 10 October 2016, the three posts of Vice President were restored by the Supreme Court of Iraq which deemed their abolition unconstitutional.^[7]

List of officeholders

Under Iraqi Republic and Ba'athist Iraq

The Ba'athist regime of Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and Saddam Hussein also used the office of Vice President. However, the post was not as influential as the Vice Chairmen of the Revolutionary Command Council. Vice Presidents were appointed at the discretion of the President.

Name		Portrait	Birth–Death	Entered office	Left office	Political party	President	Notes
	Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr أحمد حسن البكر		1914–1982	November 1963	January 1964	Iraqi Ba'ath Party (Iraq Region)	Abdul Salam Arif
	Saddam Hussein صدام حسين		1937–2006	July 1968	July 1979	Iraqi Ba'ath Party (Iraq Region)	Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
	Hardan al-Tikriti حردان عبدالغفار التكريتي		1925–1971	April 1970	October 1970	Iraqi Ba'ath Party (Iraq Region)		[8]
	Salih Mahdi Ammash صالح مهدي عماش		1924–1985	April 1970	December 1971	Iraqi Ba'ath Party (Iraq Region)		[9]
	Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf		c. 1929–2009	April 1974	May 2003	Iraqi Ba'ath Party (Iraq Region)	Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr Saddam Hussein	[10][11][12]
	Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri عزة إبراهيم الدوري		1942–	July 1979	May 2003	Iraqi Ba'ath Party (Iraq Region)	Saddam Hussein
	Taha Yassin Ramadan طه ياسين رمضان الجزراوي‎		1938–2007	March 1991	May 2003	Iraqi Ba'ath Party (Iraq Region)		[13]

Since 2004

Name		Portrait	Birth–Death	Entered office	Left office	Political party	President	Notes
	Ibrahim al-Jaafari إبراهيم الجعفري		1947–	1 June 2004	7 April 2005	Islamic Dawa Party	Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer
	Rowsch Shaways روز نورى شاويس		1947–	1 June 2004	7 April 2005	Kurdistan Democratic Party
	Adil Abdul-Mahdi عادل عبد المهدي		1942–	7 April 2005	11 July 2011	Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq	Jalal Talabani
	Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer غازي مشعل عجيل الياور		1958–	7 April 2005	22 April 2006	The Iraqis
	Tariq al-Hashimi طارق الهاشمي		1942–	22 April 2006	10 September 2012	Iraqi Islamic Party
	Khodair al-Khozaei		1947–	13 May 2011	9 September 2014	Islamic Dawa Party – Iraq Organisation	Jalal Talabani Fuad Masum
	Nouri al-Maliki نوري المالكي		1950–	9 September 2014	11 August 2015	Islamic Dawa Party	Fuad Masum
	Osama al-Nujaifi أسامة النجيفي		1956–	9 September 2014	11 August 2015	Muttahidoon
	Ayad Allawi أياد علاوي		1944–	9 September 2014	11 August 2015	Iraqi National Accord
Post abolished (11 August 2015–10 October 2016)[6]
Post restored (10 October 2016–present)[7]
	Nouri al-Maliki نوري المالكي		1950–	10 October 2016	Incumbent	Islamic Dawa Party	Fuad Masum Bahram Salih	[14][15]
	Osama al-Nujaifi أسامة النجيفي		1956–	10 October 2016	Incumbent	Muttahidoon		[16][17]
	Ayad Allawi أياد علاوي		1945–	10 October 2016	Incumbent	Iraqi National Accord		[18][19]

See also

• List of current Vice Presidents

References