Baghdad, Oct 13 (UNI) The Iraqi parliament on Thursday by a majority vote elected 78-year-old Abdul Latif Rashid as the country's new president, according to the voting results.
The president was elected only on the fourth attempt in eight months.
In the first round of elections at a meeting on Thursday, Rashid won 157 votes, incumbent Barham Salih — 99. 277 parliamentarians took part in the meeting. In view of the fact that neither of candidates could get two-thirds of the votes, the second round was announced.
In the second round, 269 deputies were present in the hall due to a boycott by one of the blocs. Rashid received 162 votes, Saleh - 99, state-run agency INA reported. Eight ballots were declared invalid.
Rashid is 78 years old, he was an ardent opponent of Saddam Hussein's regime, from 2003 to 2010 he headed the Ministry of Water Resources, and since 2010 he has been a senior adviser to the Iraqi president. He is married with two sons and a daughter. Rashid speaks Arabic, Kurdish and English.
UNI/SPUTNIK GNK