Oct. 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Iraqi Parliament on Thursday elected Abdelatif Rashid, candidate of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, as the country’s new president after beating his rival, Barham Salí, in a secret vote that was held more than a year after the parliamentary elections. which took place in October 2021.
The victory of Rashid, who has garnered more than 162 votes compared to 99 for Salí, candidate of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and current president of the country, comes after he surpassed his opponent in a first vote, although he did not will reach the two-thirds majority required to secure the position, according to the state news agency NINA.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mostafa al-Kazemi has congratulated Rashid, who previously served as Minister of Water Resources between 2003 and 2010, on his official Twitter profile.
For his part, Salí wished the new president success on his official Twitter profile, while assuring that, during his mandate, “he has supported the path of reform.” In this way, he has specified that he will remain committed to these same principles.
The vote has taken place in a tense environment, since at least two people have been injured this Thursday due to the impact of several projectiles in the ‘Green Zone’ of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where most of the buildings are located foreign officials and embassies.
Iraq is in a political paralysis following the early legislative elections in October 2021, which have not yet led to the formation of a new government. In fact, Parliament was scheduled to hold this vote in February, although it was postponed due to disputes arising from the elections and the blockade by pro-Iranian parties and militias.
The Iraqi Presidency has been occupied by Kurdish politicians for two decades, within the framework of a power-sharing agreement that includes that the prime minister must be a member of the Shia community and the president of Parliament, a Sunni.
Iraq has been the scene of new mobilizations in recent days, coinciding with the third anniversary of the October 2019 protests, which resulted in at least 600 deaths throughout the country due to the reaction of the Iraqi Police and pro-Iranian militias.
