Abdul Latif Rashid
After several months of deadlock during the 2022 Iraqi presidential election, leading to the threat of early elections and clashes between Sadrists and the armed forces resulting in over thirty deaths in August, the crisis finally came to an end in October. The PDK agreed to support the compromise candidacy of Abdel Latif Rachid, a PUK member running as an independent with the support of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK). This allowed the newly elected president to appoint a prime minister and finally establish a government after a year of waiting. Abdel Latif Rachid was elected in the second round, defeating the incumbent President Barham Saleh during the session held on October 13, 2022. A member of the PUK and closely associated with its founder Jalal Talabani, Abdel Latif Rachid had been a presidential advisor since 2010, following seven years as the head of the Water Management Ministry. At the age of 78, his extensive experience in Iraqi politics and his ability to maintain good relations with politicians from both the Shiite and Sunni political communities garnered support from various factions.