SULAIMANI (ESTA) — New Iraqi President Latif Rashid on Friday released a statement, pledging to preserve the constitution and people’s interests just a day after he was inaugurated.
Iraq’s legislators elected a new President on Thursday after over a year of political deadlock which engulfed the country since the 2021 general elections.
The parliament named Rashid, 78 who was the Iraqi minister of water resources from 2003-2010. The British-educated engineer from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) won against former President Barham Salih, who was running for a second term.
“I extended my gratitude to the representatives of the Iraqi people and all of the political forces, upon the confidence that they presented to me,” Rashid said.
“I promise to preserve the Iraqi constitution as well as the country’s sovereignty and people’s interests, and be the President of all of the Iraqis without differences,” President Rashid added.
Thursday’s vote was the fourth attempt to elect a president this year, which followingly President Rashid invited Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc known as the Coordination Framework, an alliance of Iran-aligned factions, to form a government.
Sudani, 52, previously served as Iraq’s human rights minister as well as minister of labour and social affairs.
Sudani now has 30 days to form a cabinet and present it to parliament for approval.
Under a power-sharing system designed to avoid sectarian conflict, Iraq’s president is a Kurd, its prime minister a Shi’ite, and its parliament speaker a Sunni.
