Iraq News Now

Parliamentary sources said on Thursday (January 17) that the completion Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi’s cabinet will likely be delayed until the next legislative term in the spring because of persistent disagreements between the two major blocs in parliament over the current nominees.

"The political forces have not found any solutions regarding the candidates for the three vacant portfolios," Al-Hayat newspaper quoted Bina bloc deputy Sana al-Musawi as saying in a press statement.

"This has caused the disruption of many of the parliamentary sessions, although [parliament] is currently busy drafting a budget law."

He speculated that the final vote will instead take place at the start of the next legislative term, adding that perhaps this delay will allow the parties to find solutions and consensus on the prime minister’s nominees for the Interior, Justice, and Defense posts.

"The ongoing differences over the remaining ministers reflects on the performance of parliament during the last period," said Nada Shakir Jawdat, an MP from the Islah bloc.

She added that "the naming of committees and the agreement on the remaining ministers will go beyond the legislative holiday because of the overriding concern of all the blocs to pass the budget law," and expressed the hope that the legislative break will give the parties time to come to agreement.

Sairoon MP Burhan al-Maamuri said that there was "the need to fill sensitive positions in the state with competent and independent figures in line with the project of government reform," noting that "the experience of the management of state institutions by proxy proved to be a failure in the past and contributed to the use of quotas and unprofessional nepotism."

The Council of Representatives has tried on several occasions to vote on Abdul Mahdi’s nominees for the three remaining ministries, but has run up against legislative delay tactics by the parties like withdrawing quorum from the session.

(NRT Digital Media)