Shafaq News- Baghdad

A proposed mechanism could be used to complete Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s cabinet if political forces fail to agree on candidates for vacant ministries or their allocation, a government source told Shafaq News on Tuesday, as State of Law Coalition leader Nouri Al-Maliki met with Al-Zaidi to discuss the issue.

Efforts to agree on candidates for the vacant portfolios, including the Interior and Defense ministries, have yet to produce an agreement, with political forces and leaders still divided, the source said. Under the proposed mechanism, the nominees would be put forward as a “single package” to complete Al-Zaidi’s cabinet.

“Most political forces have authorized the prime minister to select candidates he considers suitable for the vacant ministries,” the source added.

The mechanism would also cover the deputy prime minister positions, according to the source, in an effort to avoid political vetoes. Kurdish parties have yet to agree on which party should hold the post, with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) both involved in the discussions.

Separately, Al-Zaidi met with Al-Maliki to discuss the importance of maintaining dialogue among political forces to complete the government formation, as well as supporting government efforts to combat corruption, pursue reforms and strengthen stability.

The source added that the Coordination Framework (CF), a coalition of predominantly Shiite political forces, would nominate a delegation to visit the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) following celebrations marking the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. The delegation would seek to determine which party will hold the second deputy prime minister post and resolve nominations for ministries allocated to Kurdish parties in the federal government.

The source said the cabinet is expected to be completed after the ceremonies and events marking Sovereignty Day. A televised address by the prime minister on behalf of Iraq is also expected to be broadcast for the occasion.

Iraq’s parliament approved Al-Zaidi’s government and ministerial program on May 14, granting confidence to 14 ministers while postponing votes on nine remaining portfolios amid political disagreements over the allocation of ministries.

Since then, the Coordination Framework has authorized Al-Zaidi to contact the heads of parliamentary blocs and political entities participating in the government whose candidates for the vacant ministries have yet to be finalized.