New governor picked for Anbar

ANBAR / IraqiNews.com: The Anbar provincial council members chose independent candidate Qassem Mohammed as governor of the predominantly Sunni province on Saturday amidst tight security measures during the voting process, according to an informed source. “Mohammed has taken the constitutional oath along with the newly picked chief of provincial council, Jassem Mohammed Hamad,” Judge Mohammed Mokhlef, the President of al-Anbar Court, told IraqiNews.com news agency. He did not give further details. Meanwhile, Saadoun Obeid, a provincial council member, told IraqiNews.com that the selection of Mohammed as governor came upon the agreement of all blocs represented in the council. Mohammed is independent who was nominated by the Iraq Sahwa Alliance while Hamad is the candidate of the National Iraqi Project Grouping, Obeid said. AmR (P)/SR 1