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Presidency

Presidency

LAST UPDATED: JULY 2019

The Presidency is the highest executive office in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq . The President fulfils a range of legal, administrative and political tasks that are essential for the functioning of the Region’s government.

Above all, the President represents the people of the Region on both the international and national levels. He holds meetings with heads of state and government and coordinates the Kurdistan Region’s relations with the authorities of the federal government in Baghdad. Another central task of the President concerns the legislative process – all laws must be ratified by the President before being enacted.

The administration of the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region is called Diwan. The Diwan, divided into a number of general directorates, oversees the communication and cooperation between the Region’s President, the office of the Prime Minister and the Kurdistan Parliament. In addition, the Diwan is in charge of liaising with the federal authorities of Iraq.

Since 2005, the President is elected by secret popular ballot for an office term of four years with the option to run for a second term. The President is assisted by a Deputy President, who is elected by the Kurdistan Parliament. In extraordinary circumstances, such as 2019, the President might be elected by the Parliament. In May 2019, after almost two years, the Parliament restored the Presdency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The Presidency is currently held by Mr. Nechirvan Barzani. He entered into office in June 2019. His vision is to build a peaceful and tolerant society.

 

Visit the Presidency’s website here.

Watch the inauguration video here.

 

For more information:

KRG Cabinet

Kurdistan Parliament