Iraq’s Council of Representatives is expected to convene on Thursday afternoon to vote on completing Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s cabinet, as political parties continue negotiations over ministerial positions that remain unresolved.
Thair al-Kaabi, a lawmaker from the Nahj al-Watani bloc, said nine ministries are currently vacant. He explained that separating the Ministry of Culture from the Ministry of Tourism, along with establishing the Ministries of Artificial Intelligence and State Affairs, has brought the number of portfolios under political negotiations to 12.
Al-Kaabi stated that political understandings have produced nominees for 10 of the 12 ministries, while appointments to the culture and state affairs portfolios remain unsettled. He added that the Ministry of State Affairs has been allocated to the Turkmen component.
He further noted that political forces have reached an agreement on nominating candidates for deputy prime minister positions, although negotiations over the vice presidents of the republic remain inconclusive.
Meanwhile, a political source said leaders of the Coordination Framework, the prime minister and representatives of other political blocs agreed during a meeting on Monday evening to hold a parliamentary session on Thursday to vote on completing the cabinet. The discussions also included a proposal to appoint four deputy prime ministers.
