Nizar Amedi formally assumes Iraq's Kurdish-held Presidency
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Nizar Amedi was formally inaugurated as President of Iraq on Sunday in an official ceremony at Baghdad Palace, a day after parliament elected him to the post.
The ceremony opened with the national anthem and an honor guard review, followed by a handover between Amedi and outgoing President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid. Amedi praised his predecessor's service, saying the peaceful transfer of power was "a fundamental pillar in consolidating democracy and strengthening state stability." Rashid wished the incoming president success in serving Iraq and meeting the aspirations of its people.
Amedi, a senior Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader, secured 227 votes in a second round of voting after no candidate cleared the two-thirds threshold in the first round. He becomes Iraq's sixth president since 2003.
