Shafaq News- Baghdad

Lawmakers from Iraq’s Basra province on Wednesday threatened to withhold support for Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s cabinet unless the province is granted its “due share” in the next government.

MP Alaa al-Haidari, speaking at a press conference in parliament, stated that Basra representatives had sent a message to al-Zaidi and political bloc leaders calling for greater representation in the ministerial lineup.

The lawmakers demanded that key portfolios —oil, transport, and water resources— be assigned to figures from Basra, describing them as critical ministries closely tied to the province’s interests, particularly because “Basra contributes around 93% of Iraq’s state revenues.”

Iraq’s parliament is expected to vote on al-Zaidi’s cabinet next week, with the names of ministers and the government program due to be submitted by the end of this week.

The Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest parliamentary bloc with about 162 of 329 seats, granted al-Zaidi broader authority to form his cabinet following his nomination on April 27, although negotiations continue under a points-based system that allocates ministries according to parliamentary representation.

The incoming government is set to comprise 22 ministerial portfolios: 12 allocated to Coordination Framework factions, six to Sunni blocs, and four to Kurdish parties, according to Shafaq News sources. Service ministries are typically assigned to blocs holding at least 10 seats, while sovereign portfolios are generally reserved for factions with more than 15.

Read more: Ali al-Zaidi named Iraq's prime minister: Easy nomination, harder road ahead