(Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )-Former Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani was sworn in Monday as president of northern Iraq’s Kurdish region. The swearing-in ceremony in Erbil saw a high-profile participation of officials from Iraq.Among the attendees were President Barham Salih, Parliament Speaker Mohammad al-Halbousi, and several foreign delegates. Barzani, the candidate of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was elected president by the regional parliament last month. The region's presidency remained vacant since November 2017, when the mandate of then President Masoud Barzani expired.During his speech delivered at the inauguration of the new president of Kurdistan Region, former president of Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, reiterated a call on political forces in Erbil and Baghdad to work together and address the prolonged disputes.“I congratulate Nechirvan Barzani and I wish him success. I will fully support him in his new responsibility,” he said.Barzani reminded the joint efforts and mutual understanding, within the framework of the Constitution of Iraq, remains the best option to resolve the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. </s> Nechirvan Barzani was sworn in Monday as Iraqi Kurdistan’s second president, succeeding his uncle and veteran leader Massud Barzani whose son Masrour will likely be nominated premier on Tuesday.

Nechirvan, the 52-year-old deputy leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, was elected as president on May 28 after seven years as the region’s prime minister.

He is the Kurdish region’s second president after his uncle Massud, who served in the role from 2005 until he quit in 2017 following a controversial independence referendum.

On Monday, the younger Barzani took his oath of office during a sleek ceremony at Arbil’s Congressional Palace.

In his address, he appealed for better ties with federal authorities in Baghdad and said his government would also prioritize the well-being of constituents in the region.

A set of speeches followed his swearing-in, with the first slots going to Massud and then Iraqi President Barham Saleh, who hails from the opposing Patriotic Union of Kurdistan which boycotted Barzani’s election.

Among those in the audience were Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and several foreign consuls, but not Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi.

Born in northern Iraq in 1966, Barzani spent part of his life in Iran and speaks fluent Kurdish, Farsi and English.

He has had a long political career in the Kurdish region, serving as its vice prime minister, head of government and prime minister since it won autonomy from federal authorities in 1991.

Observers expect the new president will nominate his cousin Masrour – the region’s current national security advisor – to replace him as premier.

The nominee will be announced at 11:00 am (0800 GMT) on Tuesday, according to parliament speaker Vala Fareed. The premier-designate would then have 30 days to form a government. </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- He praised his predecessor and first president of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, for his role and 55 years of struggle to obtain and secure the rights of all Kurdistani people.Barzani mentioned that Kurdistan, as a federal region of Iraq, had proved itself and earned a seat at the table as an important player in the region and on the international scene. He added it would continue to further strengthen ties with its neighbors and other countries around the world.In a dedicated parliamentary session on May 28, 68 lawmakers from the Kurdistan Region’s 111-seat legislature voted in favor of Nechirvan Barzani as the new President of the Kurdish autonomous region.Nechirvan Barzani is also the deputy head of the leading Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Born in 1966, Barzani was elected as the deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region in 1996. He was elected as Prime Minister in 1999 and 2006. He continued serving after subsequently being re-elected to the post in 2011 and 2013, until May 28, 2019.In his new role, Barzani called for unity among the political parties in the Kurdistan Region and hope the Constitution of Iraq would be implemented in full “to prevent the reemergence of jihadist group like Da’esh [ISIS] and other tragic incidents like Shingal,” in reference to the crimes against humanity committed by the militant group in northern Iraq and disputed territories.Masoud Barzani, the former president and current head of the KDP, also delivered a short speech, expressing his support for the new president and calling on the implementation of the Iraqi constitution to resolve long-standing disputes between Erbil and Baghdad.Other senior officials like Iraqi President Barham Salih, Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, and influential Shia cleric Ammar al-Hakim also attended the event, congratulating Nechirvan Barzani in their brief addresses, noting to respectfully call back to the previous leader, Masoud Barzani, and his contribution to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.The Speaker of Kurdistan Parliament, Vala Fareed, suspended the session until Tuesday morning, where Parliament will vote for a new Prime Minister. The position is expected to be given to Masrour Barzani, the current Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC).The new Prime Minister will have 30 days to form the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).Editing by Nadia Riva </s> Nechirvan Barzani sworn in as president of Iraqi Kurdistan

Nechirvan Barzani has been sworn in as Iraqi Kurdistan’s second president, succeeding his uncle and veteran leader Massud Barzani whose son Masrour will likely be nominated premier on Tuesday.

Nechirvan, the 52-year-old deputy leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, was elected as president on May 28 after seven years as the region’s prime minister.

He is the Kurdish region’s second president after his uncle Massud, who served in the role from 2005 until he quit in 2017 following a controversial independence referendum.

The younger Barzani takes his oath of office during a sleek ceremony at Erbil’s Congressional Palace.

Born in northern Iraq in 1966, Barzani spent part of his life in Iran and speaks fluent Kurdish, Farsi and English.

He has had a long political career in the Kurdish region, serving as its vice prime minister, head of government and prime minister since it won autonomy from federal authorities in 1991. </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- Nechirvan Barzani sworn in as president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Erbil, June 10, 2019. Photo: K24 TVHEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Nechirvan Barzani was sworn in Monday as Iraqi Kurdistan’s second president, succeeding his uncle and veteran KDP party leader Massoud Barzani whose son Masrour will likely be nominated premier on Tuesday.On May 6, the Kurdistan Parliament approved legislation that reactivates the Kurdistan Region’s Presidency.Nechirvan, the 52-year-old deputy leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, was elected as president on May 28, 2019 after seven years as the region’s prime minister.He is the Kurdish region’s second president after his uncle Massoud, who served in the role from 2005 until he stepped down in 2017 following a controversial independence referendum.On August 20, 2015 Massoud Barzani’s term as president of Kurdistan has expired but he refused to step down and remains unofficially in office for more than two years despite protests and demonstration against Barzani across Kurdistan region. He also closed the parliament and prevented speaker from entering Erbil.On Monday, the younger Barzani took his oath of office during a sleek ceremony at Erbil’s Congressional Palace.In his address, he appealed for better ties with federal authorities in Baghdad, and said his government would also prioritise the well-being of constituents in the region.A set of speeches followed his swearing-in, with the first slots going to Massoud and then Iraqi President Barham Salih, who hails from the opposing Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK which boycotted Barzani’s election.Among those in the audience were Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and several foreign consuls, but not Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi.Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi congratulated Barzani on his election as the President of the Kurdistan Region.Born in northern Iraq in 1966, Barzani spent part of his life in Iran and speaks fluent Kurdish, Farsi and English.He has had a long political career in the Kurdish region, serving as its vice prime minister, head of government and prime minister since it won autonomy from federal authorities in 1991.Observers expect the new president will nominate his cousin Masrour and Massoud’s son — the KDP-controlled region’s current national security advisor — to replace him as premier.The nominee will be announced at 11:00 am (0800 GMT) on Tuesday, according to parliament speaker Vala Fareed.The premier-designate would then have 30 days to form a government.The Barzani clan have been routinely accused by critics of amassing huge wealth from oil business for his family instead of serving the population.The Barzanis control a large number of commercial enterprises in Kurdistan-Iraq, with a gross value of several billion US dollars. The family is routinely accused of corruption and nepotism by Kurdish media as well as international observers.The New Generation Movement caucus in the Kurdistan parliament said on Saturday that it would not attend the ceremony.“The current situation in the Kurdistan Region needs more respect for the legitimate institutions and parliament, where is the first source of legislation and monitoring the government. The executive power should obey the parliament. In contrast to all the democratic traditions, the parliament is taken into service of the persons,” the Movement said in a statement, NRT reported.The New Generation caucus also boycotted the parliamentary session to elect the new president on May 28.Read more about The Monarchy of Iraqi KurdistanCopyright © 2019, respective author or news agency, Ekurd.net | AFP | AgenciesComments Comments </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — The Kurdistan Parliament on Tuesday resumed its suspended session from Monday and named Masrour Barzani for the post of Prime Minister, who now must receive his mandate from the President.Barzani was presented by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which won the Sept. 2018 elections and secured 45 seats, as its candidate for the post. The KDP beat out the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) 21, and Gorran (Change) Movement, which won 12 seats out of the total 111-seat of the regional parliament.Barzani, incumbent Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), received 87 votes out of 97 attending lawmaker from Tuesday’s Parliament session.The parliament’s leadership will now present the candidate to the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, who will issue a formal letter asking Masrour Barzani to form the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet within 30 days of being selected, finalizing the appointment process.Related Article: Nechirvan Barzani takes oath of office as new Kurdistan PresidentSHORT BIO ON MASROUR BARZANIBorn in 1969 in Erbil’s Balakayati area, Barzani became a Kurdish Peshmerga fighter at the age of 16 in 1985.He is married and has three sons and a daughter.Barzani earned a degree in International Studies at the American University in Washington DC, and continues his post-graduate studies in Peace and Conflict Resolutions.In 1998, he returned to the Kurdistan Region and was elected by the KDP's 12th Congress to the Central Committee.In 2010, he was elected to the Leadership Council and then selected as a KDP Politburo member.In 2012, he was appointed by then-President Masoud Barzani as Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) to oversee the region’s security, military intelligence, and intelligence services.Editing by Nadia Riva </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- Masrour Barzani has been elected as prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as the parliament convened on Tuesday to vote for the new prime minister.Barzani, who is the son of former-president Masoud Barzani, garnered 87 out of 97 votes of MPs who attended the session.MPs from the two Islamic parties Komal and the KIU refrained from voting.Masrour, the former-chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC), now has 30 days to form a government.On Monday, his cousin, Nechirvan Barzani, stepped down as prime minister after he was sworn-in as president in a ceremony in Erbil. </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- Masrour Barzani, Massoud’s son, named as news Iraqi Kurdistan PM. Photo: 2018, Farhad Ahmad/FBHEWLÊR-Erbil, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— Iraqi Kurdistan’s parliament named Masrour Barzani as the region’s new premier on Tuesday, a day after his cousin was sworn in as its president.Masrour Barzani, 50, is the son of longtime Iraqi Kurdish KDP party leader Massoud Barzani and had been serving as national security adviser for the autonomous Kurdistan region since 2012 in the areas under Kurdistan Democratic Party control.He won the votes of 87 of the 97 members present in the region’s 111-seat chamber — more than his cousin received when he was elected president late last month.PM-elect Barzani will have one month to form the autonomous region’s cabinet.The cousins hail from the KDP, which was founded by their grandfather Mustafa in 1946 and remains dominated by the Barzani clan.Its main rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), boycotted Nechirvan’s election as president but at least some of its MPs took part in Tuesday’s session.Born in Erbil in 1969, Masrour joined the Kurdish security forces, known as the peshmerga, as a 16-year-old.He attended school in neighbouring Iran, then returned to Iraqi Kurdistan to take part in the 1991 uprising against then-dictator Saddam Hussein before travelling to the US to complete his graduate studies.During his tenure as national security adviser, Barzani had a major role in the region’s fightback against the Islamic State jihadist group, which swept across a third of Iraq in 2014.He succeeds his cousin Nechirvan who had served as prime minister since 2012.Nechirvan is now the KRG’s second president after Masoud Barzani, who served in the role from 2005 until he stepped down in 2017 following a controversial independence referendum that prompted Baghdad to reoccupy large swathes of Kurdish-held territory.On August 20, 2015 Massoud Barzani’s term as president of Kurdistan has expired but he refused to step down and remains unofficially in office for more than two years despite protests and demonstration against Barzani across Kurdistan region. He also closed the parliament and prevented speaker from entering Erbil.The Barzani clan have been routinely accused by critics of amassing huge wealth from oil business for his family instead of serving the population.The Barzanis control a large number of commercial enterprises in Kurdistan-Iraq, with a gross value of several billion US dollars. The family is routinely accused of corruption and nepotism by Kurdish media as well as international observers.Copyright © 2019, respective author or news agency, Ekurd.net | AFPComments Comments </s> (Hatha al-Youm | Iraq News )- Iraq's Kurdish region named a cousin of its new president to succeed him as prime minister on Tuesday, keeping power in the hands of the family that has governed since the region gained partial self rule after Saddam Hussein's fall.The new prime minister, Masrour Barzani, is a son of former president Masoud Barzani, who stepped down in 2017 after a failed independence bid. The regional presidency was vacant for more than 18 months until Masoud Barzani's nephew Nechirvan Barzani was elevated from prime minister and sworn in on Monday.The Barzani clan and their Kurdistan Democratic Party have ruled the semi-autonomous Kurdish region since Iraq's constitution was set up following the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam in 2003.They have shared power in the region with their main rivals, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which has appointed presidents for Iraq's central government in Baghdad under a system designed to balance power among Iraq's main ethnic and sectarian groups.However, the two big Kurdish parties have quarreled lately over the apportionment of posts in the regional government, and resolving that standoff is likely to be the first major task for the new prime minister, who has 30 days to form a government.Masrour Barzani, who had been serving as regional security chief, was elected prime minister with 87 votes from the 97 lawmakers present. The regional legislature has 111 seats in total. Several smaller opposition parties, including the Kurdistan Islamic Group and New Generation movement, boycotted.The Barzani family has been at the forefront of Kurdish politics for generations. Masoud Barzani, a veteran of decades of guerrilla warfare for Kurdish independence, inherited his position as leader of the KDP from his father Mustafa Barzani, who died in 1979.Masoud Barzani stepped down as Kurdish president in 2017 after a failed independence bid that prompted a military offensive from Baghdad and a political crisis among the Kurds.Smaller opposition parties in the Kurdish region accuse the KDP and PUK of using their combined dominance of the region's politics to build business empires for the families that lead them.
Nechirvan Barzani is sworn in as the new President of Iraqi Kurdistan. In his first speech as President, Barzani says he will seek to improve ties with Baghdad, and create a joint-security plan to prevent ISIL from re-emerging in the region.