Why Barham Salih isn't Iraq's new president - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Cengiz Candar

Cengiz Candar

Jul 31, 2014

New Kurdish Prime Minister Bahram Salih takes an oath after his election by parliament to take office, in Abril, 310 km (190 miles north of Baghdad October 28, 2009. After Kurdish parliamentary elections in July that kept the region's two major parties in power, Kurdish lawmakers have picked Iraq's former deputy prime minister, Barham Salih, to head the new government. Analysts say the move may bring a more cordial tone to tense ties between Kurds and majority Arabs in Baghdad. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (IRAQ — Then Kurdish Prime Minister Barham Salih takes an oath after his election by parliament to take office, in Ebril, 310 km (190 miles north of Baghdad) Oct. 28, 2009. — REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

عربي

Fuad Masum (C-R), the new president of Iraq and a veteran Kurdish politician, stands with Kirkuk provincial Governor Najm al-Din Karim (C-L) during a press conference in Baghdad on July 24, 2014, after Fuad was elected by an overwhelming majority in the Parliament. Masum succeeds the ailing Jalal Talabani, who returned only five days ago from 18 months of medical treatment in Germany to serve out his tenure. AFP PHOTO / ALI AL-SAADI (Photo credit should read ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/Getty Images)

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