Iraq Parliament to vote on remaining eight candidates in session next week

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Parliament will vote on the remaining ministerial posts for Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi’s cabinet in a session next week, according to a parliamentary source, despite the parliament speaker’s office saying the meeting would take place on Tuesday.

Alsumaria, quoting the parliamentary source, reported that the session had been delayed to next Tuesday as disagreements over nominees for the portfolios continue.

Kurdistan 24 could not immediately confirm the validity of the claim.

In late October, the Iraqi Parliament gave its vote of confidence to 14 ministers, but candidates to lead eight other ministries, including the coveted posts of Interior and Defense, were not included in the ballot. MPs were due to elect the remainder, but this has so far been delayed.

During their meeting on Saturday, parliament members in Baghdad were expected to vote on the remaining posts in the new Iraqi government; however, MPs failed to reach a consensus.

Several Kurdish MPs in Baghdad, meanwhile, have called for a sufficient representation of Kurds in the country’s new cabinet.

Miran Mohammed, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) MP in Iraq, called on ministers in Baghdad to consider the Kurds in the new government formation, adding the Kurds are expected to receive two more ministerial posts.   

“If the Kurds are not represented in Baghdad, then the new government will not be successful,” he stated.

“The people who have suffered the most injustice in Iraq [such as the Kurds] should not be ignored.”

Nahro Rwandiz, a Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK) MP in Baghdad, told Kurdistan 24 he hopes the Kurdish issues are addressed in the new Iraqi Parliament.

“The political factions from Kurdistan want to be well-represented in Iraq,” he said.

“We want to be able to gain more positions to improve Kurdish rights and to address the Kurdish issues in the parliament.”