Iraq's new first lady congratulating her husband: the country will witness an era of construction and decent life

Shafaq News/ The wife of Iraq's President-elect Latif Rashid on Thursday said that Iraq will experience "a new era of construction and decent life" under her husband's rule.

Lawmakers in Iraq have elected Kurdish politician Abdullatif Rashid as the country's new president, paving the way for the formation of a new government and ending a year of deadlock.

He replaces fellow Iraqi Kurd Barham Salih as head of state after a two-round vote in parliament, winning more than 160 votes against 99 for Salih.

In a congratulatory correspondence she issued earlier today, Shanaz Ebrahim Ahmed referred to her husband as "your excellency".

"I wish you success in your new patriotic mission," she said, "I am confident that Iraq under your rule, according to the constitution, will witness a new era of construction and decent life."

"I am fully confident that your assumption of this new mission will be a crucial boost to achieving peace, safety, and construction in the country, in the footsteps of Mam Jalal," said the PUK leading figure.

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

At least 269 of the 329 lawmakers attended the voting session on Thursday afternoon, which came hours after nine rockets struck areas near Baghdad’s Green Zone, where the parliament is located.

A first round of voting on the presidential nomination failed to reach the required two-thirds majority.