KDP to Receive Iraqi Deputy PM Post as Cabinet Nears Completion
KDP will take one of four deputy prime minister posts as Iraq's cabinet under Ali al-Zaidi is expected to be completed by early next week, sources say.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) will receive the post of a deputy prime minister of Iraq, as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's cabinet is set to be completed at the end of this week or early next week. Kurdistan24 learned this from several senior sources within Shia and Sunni parties, who said political efforts to settle the remaining posts and candidates have accelerated.
Leaders of the Coordination Framework will meet in Baghdad to finalize Shia candidates for ministerial posts and reach an advance agreement on them. The draft law on the Popular Mobilization Forces is also under discussion.
As talks continue, the State Administration Coalition will meet on Tuesday. Nechirvan Barzani is expected to attend as the KDP's representative in the alliance.
Most parties agree on appointing four deputy prime ministers, on condition that the deputies hold only that post and no ministry. Some leaders believe the posts and their privileges should not be expanded given the poor economic situation, but the majority favors the appointments. The sources said the quotas are divided as follows.
The Kurdish share is one deputy prime minister, which goes to the KDP.
The Sunni share goes to the Taqaddum Alliance, whose candidate is Mohammed Tamim, a former planning minister.
On the Shia side, two deputies have been designated: Muhsin al-Mandalawi, head of the Asas Alliance, and Laith al-Khazali, brother of Qais al-Khazali, secretary general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq. According to the sources, Laith al-Khazali was nominated after Washington gave him a green light and he secured American approval.
The Shia components have agreed on their candidates. The main obstacle lies among the Sunni components, where there is competition over the defense and planning ministries. The sources outlined the remaining ministries as follows.
The interior and higher education ministries fall to the State of Law Alliance. Yasser Sukhail has been nominated for interior and Haider Baha for higher education, and their CVs have been formally submitted to the prime minister.
A new Ministry of Tourism is to be added to the cabinet and given to the Shia component.
The defense ministry is the Sunni share. Sabit al-Abbasi has withdrawn from the race, and the current candidates are Nayef al-Shammari and Ali al-Araji, with al-Araji holding the better chance.
The planning and culture ministries are to go to Ali al-Nuaimi and Zaid Ali, candidates of the Azm Alliance.
The Ministry of Reconstruction and Municipalities is the KDP's share.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is the share of the Asaib movement, though its candidate has not yet been formally decided.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports is the share of the National State Forces Alliance, which has nominated Safa al-Kinani.
The Ministry of Migration and Displaced is to be taken from Rayan al-Kildani and given to the Suyana bloc, the largest Christian bloc in the Iraqi parliament.
The sources said that if the parties reach a final agreement on the candidates by Wednesday, the Iraqi parliament will vote Thursday on completing Ali al-Zaidi's cabinet. Another source within the Coordination Framework stressed that even if the matter slips to next week, the cabinet is guaranteed to be approved this month.