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KURDISH politician Fouad Massoum was named Iraq’s new president today.
Mr Massoum accepted the position after winning two-thirds of the vote.
He was one of the founders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan led by previous president Jalal Talabani.
But the problems faced by any new government were underlined yesterday by an attack on a prison convoy which killed dozens of people.
Just hours before Mr Massoum was elected, fighters believed to be from the Islamic State group fired mortar shells at army bases in Taji where detainees facing terrorism charges were being held.
Fearing a jailbreak, authorities evacuated the facilities but, as the prisoners were being moved, another attack began, this time with roadside bombs, sparking a battle that left 52 prisoners and eight soldiers dead.
Mr Massoum is known for keeping good relations with Sunni and Shi’ite politicians, but even he may struggle to bring order into a country rapidly decaying into chaos.
