Talabani Named Iraq's President

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq’s newly elected parliament chose Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as its new interim president Wednesday, reaching out to the nation’s long-repressed Kurdish minority and taking one of the final steps toward forming Iraq’s first democratically elected government in 50 years.

n a largely symbolic, secret election, lawmakers also elected Shiite Adel Abdul-Mahdi and interim President Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni Arab, as Talabani’s vice presidents. The three had been agreed upon in negotiations held during the past weeks, and no other candidates were proposed Tuesday.

The announcement of the new lawmakers drew applause, and many in parliament crowded around Talabani to congratulate him.

Lawmakers cast 221 ballots in favor of Talabani and the two vice presidents. Thirty other ballots were left blank in apparent protest of the candidates.

More info here. Another major hurdle has been crossed, and things should hopefully be easy sailing, at least until the part about creating the permanent constitution.