Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi will discuss with Kurdish and Sunni leaders their demands in the new government, a political source told Shafaq News on Friday.

Al-Zaidi is expected to visit the Kurdistan Region in the coming days, where he will also address issues between Baghdad and Erbil, including the salaries and the Region’s share from the budget in line with the new government’s program.

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He will then meet Sunni leaders, including Taqaddum Movement leader Mohammed Al-Halbousi, to review their positions, as the latter has raised his party’s expectations for cabinet posts, “fueling debate among political blocs as negotiations over Sunni ministries enter a more direct phase.”

According to the source, disputes over power-sharing quotas will be resolved based on each bloc’s parliamentary representation, under prevailing political norms, with key parties expected to play a role in ensuring the government’s approval in parliament.

The source added that the Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest bloc in parliament, has formed a committee to oversee the distribution of ministerial portfolios and review nominees in coordination with Al-Zaidi, “aiming to prevent disputes from delaying the formation of the government.”

Talks are ongoing over the initial distribution of cabinet posts. The Reconstruction and Development Coalition (Al-Ima'ar wal Tanmiya) is seeking five ministries, including a sovereign portfolio, while the State of Law Coalition is likely to secure the Oil Ministry and another service portfolio. The Sadiqoon Movement is also set to obtain two ministries and a deputy prime minister post.

Earlier, the Coordination Framework granted Al-Zaidi broader authority in selecting his cabinet following his nomination for prime minister after the withdrawal of caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki.

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