The Iraqi parliament today elected Kurdish politician Nizar Amedi as the country’s new president, following parliamentary elections held in November last year.
Amedi is a former environment minister and has headed the political office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Baghdad since 2024.
Iraq is now due to choose a prime minister, a closely watched and sensitive pick. Under the country’s sectarian power-sharing system, the prime minister is required to be a Shi’ite Muslim, the parliamentary speaker a Sunni Muslim, and the president a Kurd.
Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi officially announced Amedi as the winner after he secured 227 votes in the runoff vote. Following the announcement, the president-elect took the constitutional oath.
The pivotal session was attended by approximately 250 lawmakers from the 329-seat parliament, exceeding the constitutional quorum of 220 members required for the presidential election.
According to the televised session, Amedi, the candidate of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led the first round with 208 votes, while his primary competitors, Muthanna Amin from the Kurdistan Islamic Union and current Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, received 17 and 16 votes respectively.