Iraqi President Jalal Talibani confirmed on Sunday that he does not intend to run for another term. The 76-year-old leader told reporters he intends to concentrate on writing his memoirs while serving as head of the Patriotic Union party in Kurdistan. He made his remarks while in the autonomous Kurdish area before leaving on a trip to Turkey.
Talibani was the leader of a Kurdish guerilla group that fought the late dictator Sadam Hussein. While the presidency does not include executive powers, it is considered important in the fight against partisan tensions, because there is a Shi'ite vice president and one representing the Suni population