BAGHDAD, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi parliament on Tuesday elected Farhad Atrushi of the Kurdistan Democratic Party as second deputy speaker, completing the election of its leadership and paving the way for the election of the country's president.
The vote followed the election of Haibet al-Halbousi as parliament speaker and Adnan Fihan as first deputy speaker on Monday. The completion of the parliamentary leadership is a crucial step that triggers the next phase of the constitutional timeline for appointing the nation's leadership.
"The Council of Representatives has today completed the first constitutional step within the prescribed timeframe, reflecting a strong sense of national responsibility demonstrated by the leaders of the political blocs and the honorable members of parliament in carrying out the duties entrusted to them," Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said in a statement.
Al-Halbousi also announced the opening of nominations for the presidency, according to a statement released by the Iraqi parliament on Tuesday.
Under Iraq's Constitution, parliament must elect a president within 30 days. The president will then have 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a cabinet, which must be presented for a vote of confidence within 30 days.
Under Iraq's ethno-sectarian power-sharing system established after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, the presidency is reserved for a Kurd, the parliamentary speaker's post for a Sunni Muslim, and the prime minister's office for a Shiite Muslim. ■
