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R ELIGION , P OLITICS , AND THE E CONOMY

and performs many ceremonial duties. The president is elected by the members of the Council of Representatives. A Kurdish politician, Jalal Talabani, served as president of Iraq from April 2005 to July 2014. Talabani was succeeded by another Kurd, Fuad Masum. One of the president’s most important duties is to select the prime minister, who actually runs the day-to-day operations of Iraq’s government and is the leader of the Council of Representatives. The Shiite politician Nouri al-Maliki became prime minister in 2005, but he was often criticized during his tenure for discriminating against Sunni Arabs. In August 2014, during the Islamic State crisis, Maliki resigned the post of prime minister under pressure from President Masum. He was suc- ceeded by Haider al-Abadi, also a Shia Muslim. The Council of Representatives currently includes 328 members. The Council meets in Baghdad for two sessions each year, during which it passes national laws,

Traditionally, Kurds have held the office of presi- dency, while Shiites have held the post of prime minister, to ensure balance among those factions. Iraq’s current president, Fuad Masum, helped to draft the country’s constitution.

In August of 2014, Haider al-Abadi became prime minister of Iraq. The prime minister is permitted to serve two four-year terms.