The story: Iraq’s government formation process remains stalled amid disagreements over the presidency, which has since 2005 customarily been held by a Kurd from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has fielded a rival candidate, but neither party appears to have the parliamentary votes necessary to clear the two-thirds threshold required by the constitution. The contentious impasse has dragged on since Iraq’s legislative elections last October.

The coverage: Shiite and Sunni Arab parties in Baghdad have recently urged the KDP and the PUK to put aside their differences and agree on a joint presidential candidate, but neither party seems interested in abandoning their hopefuls...