BAGHDAD: Lawmakers in Iraq have elected Kurdish politician Abdul Latif Rashid as the country’s new president.

Braving rocket strikes near the Parliament building on Thursday, lawmakers in Iraq went ahead with the votong process and elected Abdul Latif Rashid as the country’s new president.

Rashid replaced Barham Saleh as head of state after the two-round vote in parliament.

Abdul Latif Rashid won more than 160 votes against 99 for Saleh.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, a Shia politician, was soon thereafter named prime minister-designate.

Al-Sudani replaced caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi.

In Iraq’s power-sharing system, the presidency is reserved for Kurdish groups to nominate while the premiership falls under Shia blocs.

The speaker of parliament is a Sunni.