Iraq‘s legislators have elected Kurdish politician from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Latif Rashid as the country’s new president on Thursday.

Rashid has been elected as the fourth president of Iraq since 2003, winning both rounds of voting in the Iraqi parliament in a race with Barham Salih.

Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq’s presidency – a largely ceremonial role – is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shia and the parliament speaker is Sunni.

(ESTA/PUKNOW)