Iraq’s PM-designate to submit new cabinet for approval next week

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The office of Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adel Abdul Mahdi announced on Wednesday that he would submit a new cabinet to parliament for endorsement next week.  

“The prime minister-designate… is carrying out the necessary communications with the head of the parliament and the blocs to set a day” to present the cabinet, his office said in a statement posted to social media.

Following months of political deadlock after Iraq’s controversial May 12 parliamentary elections, the country elected on Oct. 2 its new president, Barham Salih.

Salih then nominated Abdul Mahdi to form Iraq’s new government following an agreement between the nation’s parliamentary blocs.

The prime minister-designate has until Nov. 1 to achieve a consensus.  

In a statement on Oct. 8, Abdul Mahdi announced that candidates could submit their CVs online to apply to ministries and other governmental posts.

He stressed that whoever finds himself or herself competent and is willing to be nominated for a post can do so between Oct. 9 and 11, through a website created just for that purpose.

On Oct. 13, Abdul Mahdi’s office said it had received 15,184 applications for ministerial and other government posts and that 601 of them, judged most qualified, have been selected to participate in the next step in landing a job.

Abdul Mahdi previously served as Minister of Oil in outgoing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s cabinet but resigned in 2016 after two years in office. He was also Iraqi vice-president between 2005 and 2011.

The new federal government would be tasked with the reconstruction of the war-torn country as well as providing public services and combating widespread corruption in public institutions.