Iraq names new president, paving way for new government

Presidential candidate Abdul Latif Rashid attends a parliamentary session to vote for a new head of state president in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq’s parliament on Thursday elected Kurdish politician Abdul Latif Rashid as president, according to two lawmakers, paving the way for the formation of a new government and ending a year of deadlock.

Rashid, 78, is a British-educated engineer and was the Iraqi minister of water resources from 2003-2010. He has 15 days to invite a nominee from the largest parliamentary bloc to form a government.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; writing by Amina Ismail; Editing by Hugh Lawson)