Vice President of Iraq

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As currently constituted, the state of Iraq has two vice presidents or deputy presidents. The office of Vice President is largely ceremonial but prestigious. The current Constitution of Iraq, in its "Transitional Guidelines," creates a three-member Presidency (or Presidential) Council, consisting of the President of the Republic and two vice (or deputy) presidents, who must act in unison. The Presidency Council has three members to accommodate Iraq's three largest groups: Sunni Muslim Arabs, Shiite Muslim Arabs, and (mostly Sunni) Kurds. As a unit, the Presidency Council is meant to symbolize the unity of the nation. This arrangement is required by the constitution to continue until the parliament, or Council of Representatives, enters its second set of sessions. At this point, the Presidency Council would be replaced by a solitary President of the Republic, who would also have one deputy. In any case, the Presidency is appointed by the Council of Representatives.

This three-member arrangement is a hold-over from the Iraqi interim government and the Iraqi Transitional Government.

[edit] Vice-Presidents in the former regime

The former regime of Saddam Hussein also used the office of Vice President. Saddam himself held the title from 1968 to 1979, when he established complete dominance over the state. The most recent Baathist to hold the office was Taha Yassin Ramadan, from 1991 to 2003.