Members of the Iraqi parliament elected Kurdish politician Nizar Amedi as the new president on Saturday, ending a months-long stalemate caused by differences between the rival blocs.. TASR informs about this with reference to the DPA and AP agencies.
- Deputies of the Iraqi parliament elected Kurdish politician Nizár Ámédi as president.
- The new president won 227 out of 249 votes and clearly defeated the opponent.
- The head of state was decided in the second round after an unsuccessful first round.
- The presidency in Iraq is traditionally held by a Kurd, the prime minister is a Shiite Muslim.
- Saturday’s vote was boycotted by the Kurdish Democratic Party due to long-standing coalition disputes.
Ámédí, a former minister of the environment, was supported as a presidential candidate by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). He received 227 out of 249 votes, defeating Mutana Amin Nadir of the Islamic Union of Kurdistan, who received only 15 votes.
The new head of state was decided only in the second round after none of the 15 candidates, including the current Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, received the necessary two-thirds majority of votes in the first round. The Iraqi president, who has a predominantly representative function, is traditionally a Kurdish politician. The post of Speaker of the Parliament is occupied by a Sunni Muslim and the Prime Minister is a Shiite Muslim.
After his election, Amadi is expected to nominate the prime minister, who holds the most influential position in Iraq. Amedí was born in Dahuk province, located in the north of Iraq. Before that, he worked as an assistant to presidents Jalal Talabání and Fuád Masúm. Parliamentary elections were held in Iraq last November. Since then, the Kurdish blocs have been unable to agree on a common presidential candidate. Saturday’s parliamentary session was boycotted by representatives of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
