"The decision was made by a majority of votes at the PUK leadership session in the city of Sulaymaniyah," Bira said.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has already nominated Salih for the presidency four years ago but the office was taken by Fuad Masum.
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According to the Iraqi legislation, the post of the country’s president must be taken by a representative of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK), which is the biggest party of Iraqi Kurdistan, has not commented on Salih’s nomination yet.