Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi lawmakers have submitted a proposal requiring incoming ministers in Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zaidi’s government to sign written pledges barring themselves and close relatives from contesting future elections as part of the government program he is expected to present, MP Ali Al-Sarai revealed on Wednesday.
Al-Sarai, a lawmaker from the Reconstruction and Development bloc led by caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, told Shafaq News that the measure would prohibit ministers from running in future parliamentary or provincial elections, while first- and second-degree relatives would also be excluded from candidacy. The proposal, he clarified, is intended to prevent ministries from being used for electoral promotion and curb the use of state resources and official influence during campaigns.
The restrictions would also apply to officials holding ministerial and deputy minister ranks, with plans to later incorporate the measure into Iraq’s Election Law through legislative amendments.
Parliament is expected to hold a confidence vote next week, with Al-Zaidi set to present his cabinet and government program 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. Service ministries are typically assigned to blocs holding at least 10 seats, while sovereign portfolios are generally reserved for factions with more than 15.
Political sources previously told our agency that the incoming government may be presented without a complete cabinet lineup as talks continue over deputy prime minister positions and key ministries.
Cabinet formation in Iraq is traditionally governed by the muhasasa system, a post-2003 power-sharing arrangement that distributes positions among the country’s main political and ethnic blocs.
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