Jalal Talabani, the President of Iraq, was said to be in “good health” today after undergoing heart surgery in the United States, an operation that left some Iraqis wondering whether he is still fit for the job.

The 74-year-old has not been seen in public since travelling to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on August 2 for what his office then described as an operation on his left knee.

A statement from the President’s office, however, said: “Full examinations revealed that he had a tight heart valve which needed surgery which was done successfully.”

Mr Talabani was released from the clinic in the morning in “good health”, the statement said, adding: “He received many calls and he is grateful for those who got in touch.”

The President was due to travel to Washington, according to a senior official from his Kurdish political party. Mustafa Sowrash, of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), said: "His return to Iraq is not far off."

Mr Talabani, a popular politician who is known for cracking jokes even at his own expense, has endured health problems in the past. In February 2007 he was flown to a hospital in Jordan suffering from exhaustion and dehydration.

The latest health scare prompted little surprise among a handful of people in Baghdad who were quizzed by The Times about the heart surgery.

“I think he is too old to continue as President,” said Fadel Dawish, a 32-year-old barber, upon learning about the operation.

“At this time Iraq needs someone younger. Maybe Mr Talabani could be the grandfather of the country rather than the President.”

Faisal Farook, a retired history teacher, is a big fan of the Kurdish President — the first non-Arab head of an Arab state — praising the work that he has done for his people. However Mr Farook too wondered whether it was time to move on.

“I think we need a stronger person,” the 62-year-old said.

Nassar al-Rubaie, a senior Shia politician, said that the medical reports from the hospital would determine whether the heart operation would affect Mr Talabani’s ability to work. He noted, however, that the position of President, under Iraq’s post-invasion constitution, was not too demanding.

Mr Talabani’s role is crucial to Iraq’s political process. He is part of a three-member Presidency Council that must approve legislation and other important matters, including a security agreement between the United States and Iraq that covers the status of US troops beyond the end of 2008.

Mr Rubaie added: “We hope that he will be in good health, so that his decisions are healthy too.”

Mr Talabani also heads the PUK, one of the two main political parties in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. He spent many years fighting for Kurdish rights.

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