Question: Iraq consists of 19 governorates, also known as "provinces",former President Saddam Hussein divided the country into eighteen governorates in the 1970s for reasons of ethnic manipulation, Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti,  was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until which date? 
Sentence (from "Governorates of Iraq"): Former President Saddam Hussein divided the country into eighteen governorates in the 1970s for reasons of ethnic manipulation.
Relevant evidence: Yes