Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi parliament session to vote on granting confidence to Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi’s government officially began on Thursday.

Parliament’s media office said Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi opened the 24th session of the first legislative term with 266 lawmakers present out of 329 seats.

Al-Halbousi asked al-Zaidi to read out the ministerial program before lawmakers proceed with the vote on the new cabinet.

Tasmeem Alliance leader Amer al-Fayez told Shafaq News that al-Zaidi’s cabinet would initially include 17 ministries, while six portfolios would be postponed, including the ministries of defense, culture, water resources, and migration and displacement.

Senior Iraqi political leaders and candidates for ministerial posts had arrived earlier at the parliament building ahead of the session, including Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zaidan, caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani.

Also attending were Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Hikma Movement; Nouri al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition; Ahmed al-Asadi, leader of the Soumariyoun Movement; and Asaib Ahl al-Haq secretary-general Qais al-Khazali, alongside nominees for ministerial positions.

Sources close to al-Zaidi told Shafaq News earlier that discussions were still ongoing over several unresolved ministerial portfolios and candidates proposed by political blocs.

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