“Mohamed Saber Ismail was officially nominated by the central council of the PUK for the position of Iraqi president,” Dijlah TV quoted MP Ezzat Saber as saying.
Ezzat, in his remarks, wished “all success for Ismail in his presidential bid”, shedding light on the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s 50-year struggle for the Kurds and Kurdistan region, Iraqi News reported.
Ismail holds a PhD in nuclear physics and had previously held several positions.
Under the constitution, Iraq’s president is elected by the parliament by a two-thirds majority and is limited to two four-year terms.
The speaker of the Iraqi parliament should be a Sunni Arab, the prime minister a Shiite, and the president a Kurd. The current president is Fuad Masum, a member of the PUK.
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