World, Middle East
Barzani sworn in as head of Iraq’s Kurdish region
Barzani was elected president by the regional parliament last month
Aref Youssef |
10.06.2019 - Update : 10.06.2019
ERBIL
Former Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani was sworn in Monday as president of northern Iraq’s Kurdish region.
The swearing-in ceremony in Erbil saw a high-profile participation of officials from Iraq, including President Barham Salih and Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi, and several foreign delegates.
Barzani, the candidate of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was elected president by the regional parliament last month.
The region's presidency remained vacant since November 2017, when the mandate of then President Masoud Barzani (Nechirvan’s uncle) -- who had been in office since 2005 -- expired.
In the two years since, executive power was shared by the prime minister and parliamentary speaker.
