Fuad Masum | |
|---|---|
فوئاد مەعسووم فؤاد معصوم | |
 Masum in 2018 | |
| 7thPresident of Iraq | |
| In office 24 July 2014 – 2 October 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Nouri al-Maliki Haider al-Abadi |
| Vice President | Khodair al-Khozaei Nouri al-Maliki Osama al-Nujaifi Ayad Alawi |
| Preceded by | Jalal Talabani |
| Succeeded by | Barham Salih |
| Speaker of the Council of Representatives Acting | |
| In office 14 June 2010 – 11 November 2010 | |
| President | Jalal Talabani |
| Preceded by | Ayad al-Samarrai |
| Succeeded by | Osama al-Nujaifi |
| 1stPrime Minister of Kurdistan Region | |
| In office 4 July 1992 – 26 April 1994 | |
| President | Saddam Hussein |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Kosrat Rasul Ali |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1938-01-01)1 January 1938 (age 87) Koya,Kingdom of Iraq |
| Political party | Patriotic Union of Kurdistan(1974–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Iraqi Communist Party(1962–1964) Kurdistan Democratic Party(1964–1974) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 6; includingJuwan |
| Alma mater | University of Baghdad Al-Azhar University |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Signature |  |
Muhammad Fuad Masum Hurami (Arabic:محمد فؤاد معصوم,romanized: Muḥammad Fū’ād Ma‘ṣūm;Kurdish:محەممەد فوئاد مەعسووم هەورامی, born 1 January 1938) is an IraqiKurdish politician who served as the seventhpresident of Iraq from 24 July 2014 to 2 October 2018. He was elected as president following the2014 parliamentary election.[1] Masum is the second non-Arab president ofIraq, succeedingJalal Talabani, also Kurdish, and was a confidant of Talabani.
Fuad Masum was born in the city ofKoya. He is the son of Mullah Masum Khider, a former head of theAssociation of Muslim Scholars inKurdistan, who belongs to an established political dynasty withMuslim clerical links.[2][3] His family descends from the village of Khabanen, which is part ofHawraman.[4] He studied at various religious schools inIraqi Kurdistan until the age of 18. He studiedlaw andSharia atBaghdad University.[5] In 1958, Masum traveled toCairo to complete his higher education atAl-Azhar University.[6] He worked as a professor inBasrah University in 1968.[5] He earned his PhD inIslamic philosophy from Al-Azhar in 1975.[5]
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Masum joined theIraqi Communist Party in 1962, until 1964, where he travelled toSyria to meet theCommunist Party secretary there,Khalid Bakdash.[4] After Masum discovered Bakdash's attitudes against theKurds, he quit the party to join theKurdistan Democratic Party (PDK).[7][8]
In 1968, Masum was thePDK representative inBasra. He was also the representative of theKurdish Revolution in Cairo until 1975.[4]
Masum was one of the founders of thePatriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in 1976.[7] By 1992, he was the firstPrime Minister of Kurdistan Region.[7] In 2003, following theinvasion of Iraq, Masum returned toBaghdad to be a member of the delegation representing Kurdistan, and was a member of the constitution drafting committee.[4] In 2010, Masum became the firstSpeaker of theCouncil of Representatives.[5]
In 2014, he was elected by the parliament representatives as the seventh president of Iraq.[9] Masum won 211 votes while his closest competitor,Barham Salih,[9] only received 17.[10] The decision was made during a secret vote of Kurdish MPs, who traditionally have control over the presidency for the sake of political balance.[9] United Nations Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon was present in Iraq when the decision was made, meeting with Prime MinisterNouri al-Maliki about the need for a more inclusive government.[11] Masum accepted the position, noting the "huge security, political and economic tasks" he faces as president.[12]
On 26 August, Masum appointed a new prime minister,Haider al-Abadi.[13] His appointment was considered illegal byNouri al-Maliki and in violation of the constitution.[14] Maliki said that in spite of his erosion of power it was his duty to remain in power because the appointment was a conspiracy rooted from outside of Iraq.[15] Al-Maliki referred the matter to the federal court claiming, "the insistence on this until the end is to protect the state."[16] However, on 14 August 2014, in the face of growing calls from world leaders and members of his own party, Maliki announced he was stepping down, paving the way for al-Abadi to take over.[17]
Masum married to Rounak Abdulwahid Mustafa (1941–2023)[18] in 1968, and has five daughters: Shireen (b. 1969),Juwan (b. 1972), Zozan (b. 1977), Shilan (b. 1979) and Veyan (b. 1984). He had a son, Showan (1974–1988), who died from a childhood illness.[19]
| Political offices | ||
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| New office | Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region 1992–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Council of Representatives 2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Iraq 2014–2018 | Succeeded by |
| First Republic of Iraq (1958–1968) |
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| Ba'athist Iraq (1968–2003) |
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| Coalition Provisional Authority (2003–2004) |
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| Republic of Iraq (since 2004) |
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| PUK-controlled(1992–2005) |  | |
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| KDP-controlled(1996–2005) | ||
| Iraqi Kurdistan | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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