Iraqi Parliament to Vote on Cabinet Completion and Deputy Prime Ministers This Thursday
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, political sources in Iraq have revealed that the country’s political blocs and parties have reached an agreement with Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to convene a parliamentary session on Thursday to complete the government’s cabinet. This move comes after more than five months have passed since the parliament initially voted on Al-Zaidi’s government, with the full cabinet formation being stalled by disagreements among Iraqi political currents regarding the distribution of positions and the selection of candidates for the remaining ministries.
Kareem Al-Alivi, a member of the Iraqi parliament, informed Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that following recent coordination meetings between the Coordination Framework, Al-Zaidi, and allied blocs and parties, a final consensus was achieved to hold the parliamentary session this Thursday. During this session, four Deputy Prime Ministers are also slated to receive a vote of confidence.
The nominated Deputy Prime Ministers are Laith Al-Khazali, brother of Qais Al-Khazali; Mohammed Tammam, former Minister of Planning; Mohsen Al-Mandilawi, head of the “Foundation” coalition; and Fares Al-Breefkani. Additionally, candidates have been proposed for the remaining ministerial positions.
The nominees for the vacant ministries include: Safaa Al-Kinani for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Yasser Al-Maliki for the Ministry of Interior, Haidar Bahaa for the Ministry of Higher Education, Mohammed Al-Mousawi for the Ministry of Labor, Nayef Al-Shammari for the Ministry of Defense, Yaseen Al-Aithawi for the Ministry of Culture, Mohammed Ali Al-Nuaimi for the Ministry of Planning, Ali Al-Dakhili for the Ministry of Tourism, and Mohammed Sahib Al-Darraji for the Ministry of Digital Technology.
Al-Alivi emphasized that Prime Minister Al-Zaidi and all political groups have endorsed these names, and they are expected to be approved during Thursday’s session without any contention. He added that the Prime Minister had met individually with these nominees in the preceding days before the final agreement was solidified.
These developments follow the parliament’s confidence vote in Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s government in mid-May, where 14 out of 23 proposed ministers were approved. However, nine ministries have remained vacant due to ongoing political disputes concerning candidate nominations and the allocation of ministerial portfolios among the participating political forces and parties.
