Baghdad, Iraq: The Council of Representatives of Iraq held a session on Saturday to elect a new President of the Republic.
Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al Halbousi opened the session after the quorum was achieved with the attendance of 223 MPs.
In a speech during the session, Al Halbousi said that 18 candidates had initially been nominated for the presidency, while two withdrew, Asso Faraidoon Ali and incumbent President Abdul Latif Rashid, reducing the number of candidates to 16.
President Abdul Latif Rashid earlier announced his withdrawal from seeking a second term, stating in a statement that he did not wish for his candidacy to contribute to further political polarization or weaken national unity.
