Iraqi lawmakers approve government of premier-designate al-Kadhimi
Iraqi lawmakers have approved the majority of the cabinet of ministers proposed by Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi, including the two key portfolios of defence and interior, ending a political deadlock in the country.
In a session late on Wednesday, the lawmakers approved 15 ministers, including Othman al-Ghanmi as interior minister and Gomaa Enad as defence minister.
They also approved the ministers of finance, housing, health, and education, among others.
However, several other ministers were rejected, including the ministers for culture and justice, meaning al-Kadhimi will begin his term without a full government.
The vote for the nominees for the foreign and oil ministries has also been postponed pending further negotiations.
Al-Kadhimi, 53, and the new ministers took the oath of office before parliament early on Thursday.
“My cabinet has earned parliament’s support and we will work to earn the trust and support of the Iraqi people,” al-Kadhimi said in a tweet following the vote.
“I am grateful to those who worked with us to form the government. I urge all political actors to come together around a national program to serve Iraq’s interests,” he added.
The prime minister-designate said his government would prepare fresh elections, according to Iraqi media reports.
Al-Kadhimi, who had been intelligence chief since 2016, was named as prime minister-designate on April 9, after two other hopefuls, Adnan al-Zurfi and Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, withdrew their bid to form a government.
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Caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi resigned after coming under pressure from street protests that started last year over the country’s difficult economic situation.
Protests have roiled Iraq since early October, with demonstrators calling for the resignation of the government, the dissolution of parliament and an overhaul of the country’s political system, which has been in place since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. (dpa)
