Iraq's parliament elects Barham Salih as president

By Haydar Karaalp

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraq's parliament elected Barham Salih as the new president on Tuesday evening following a second round voting.

Salih, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), received 219 votes from 272 parliament members winning a clear majority.

Seven candidates, including a woman, were vying for the position. They include Sardar Abdullah, Sarwa Abdul-Wahed, Abdullatif Rashid, Omar Barzanji, Barham Saleh, Fuad Hussein, and Abdulkarem Abtan al-Joubori.

Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) candidate Fuad Hussein dropped out of the race, according to a statement from his party.