Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, a veteran Kurdish politician
Rashid, hailing from Sulaimaniyah of Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, 'is no stranger to Baghdad'
Iraq's new President Abdul Latif Rashid is a veteran Kurdish politician and former water minister with valuable experience in navigating the fractious politics of Baghdad.
The 78-year-old, British-educated hydraulic engineer, chosen by parliament on Thursday to replace Barham Saleh, also faces the task of mending ties between the central government and Iraq's Kurdish minority.
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Rashid's first order of business is to nominate a prime minister to form a government to replace caretaker premier Mustafa al-Kadhemi, filling a year-long political vacuum since an October 2021 general election.
He had served as a presidential adviser since 2010, after seven years as a minister.
"Rashid's strengths would be that he is no stranger to Baghdad," said political analyst Hamzeh Hadad, a visiting fellow at the European Council of Foreign Relations.
Nothing "should be new to him, even if he will be a new face to younger Iraqis."
Hailing from Sulaimaniyah, a major city in Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan region, Rashid speaks Kurdish, Arabic, and English.
He served as water resources minister until 2010 – experience that could be valuable for Iraq, ravaged by drought and considered the fifth-most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the United Nations.
