Iraqi president renounces British citizenship

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi presidency has announced that President Barham Saleh has renounced his British citizenship as part of his adherence to the Constitution.

“All legal measures to give up the British citizenship have been completed by President Barham Saleh,” Almaalomah website quoted Luqman al-Fili, the presidency spokesperson, as saying in a statement on Sunday.

The president’s decision to renounce the UK nationality came as part of his adherence to the “Iraqi Constitution, which stipulates that the presidents or acting presidents of the Republic of Iraq cannot hold dual citizenship,” the statement read.

The president further “extended thanks to the UK for granting him the citizenship during the days of his strong opposition to the former regime,” the statement added.

Saleh was elected president of Iraq last October. The 58-year-old politician secured the mostly ceremonial position after winning two—thirds of the parliamentary votes.

Saleh succeeded Fuad Masum in this top post.

Saleh was part of an interim authority that was put in place by the United States following the 2003 invasion of Iraq that ousted former president Saddam Hussein.

He later became deputy prime minister under Nuri al-Maliki then returned to the Kurdish regional capital Arbil in 2009 to become head of the Kurdistan government.